We are only one week into the summer transfer window and Arsenal have already moved closer to upgrading Mikel Arteta's squad.
A number of players have already confirmed to be leaving the Gunners this window and more will follow suit in the coming weeks. Granit Xhaka is on the verge of becoming a Bayer Leverkusen player, Thomas Partey is wanted by three Saudi Arabian clubs and Folarin Balogun is almost certain to leave on a permanent basis.
The aim of sporting director Edu Gaspar is to ensure Arsenal are in a better position to compete in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League in August than they were when the 2022/23 season ended in May.
Plans are already in motion to bring West Ham United captain Declan Rice and Chelsea forward Kai Havertz to the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners are expected to make a second bid for Rice - thought to be under the £100 million-plus asking price - in the coming days, football.london understands, while Havertz is edging closer to making the switch across the capital.
Moves elsewhere for Romeo Lavia and Jurrien Timber are also said to be progressing. Three of the four players - Rice, Havertz and Timber - have all been linked with moves to German powerhouse Bayern Munich and all three prefer a move to the Emirates Stadium.
For the first time in years, the Gunners are amongst Europe's elite in view of players. While the transfer window has already dealt an injection of excitement amongst supporters, Arteta is all but certain to miss out on one of his targets.
READ MORE: Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: £65m Kai Havertz agreement, Partey price tag, third Rice bid
Ilkay Gundogan is set to leave Manchester City on a free transfer to join Barcelona. The 32-year-old had been linked with a move to Arsenal, though it was unclear whether a deal to hand an ageing midfielder a three-year contract was viewed as smart business.
Man City had made a late attempt to keep hold of their captain, but it's understood that the German international will move to Spain. Various reports have stated that Barca have offered him a three-year deal, more than the two years that City had placed on the table.
Of course, missing out on a professional like Gundogan will be disappointing for Arsenal. But there's a positive to take from the deal. As seems to be the case with every transfer this summer, Gundogan's move to Nou Camp will have a domino effect.
No sight of Gundogan in north London leaves Arteta with few options away from Rice and Lavia, a further incentive to get the deals over the line, if you like.
Furthermore, with Man City reportedly registering an interest in Rice last week, Mateo Kovacic's switch to Manchester could also play a major role in Arsenal's business. football.london understands Chelsea are preparing for the Croatian's exit and The Athletic have claimed the treble-winners have submitted a £25million bid.
Either way, both deals, in hindsight, pave the way for Arteta and Edu to continue with their pursuit of Lavia and Rice by avoiding being drawn into a bidding war.
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