Mikel Arteta has been told that he has over £150m to spend this summer as he attempts to refresh his Arsenal squad.
The Gunners have enjoyed an outstanding campaign under the Spaniard this term. They are involved in a battle with Manchester City to lift the Premier League title.
Regardless of which way the end of the campaign goes, Arsenal appear to be planning to spend heavily in order to replicate that success next term. Arteta has reportedly been given a considerable warchest ahead of the summer market with a number of lucrative deals expected to be in the offing.
According to The Independent, the Gunners boss has been told that he will be able to spend around £150m this summer. That amount will be financed via a couple of methods.
The club’s owners the Kroenkes will provide a portion of the investment, whilst an array of club sales will also add to their spending power. A number of players including Kieran Tierney, Reiss Nelson, Folarin Balogun, Nuno Tavares and Nicolas Pepe could all be allowed to leave the Emirates Stadium this summer.
With a huge amount to spend in the window, the Gunners already have a number of targets in place. West Ham and England star Declan Rice is thought to be among their prime candidates for a move.
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A midfielder is a priority over the coming months but a forward and another central defender is on Arsenal’s shopping list. The Gunners could reportedly renew their interest in Brighton star Moises Caicedo after seeing a host of bids rejected in January.
Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi are also among their future targets. Should Arsenal spend their full £150m allowance this summer, that would see the Gunners finance another huge summer spend.
The North London club have spent a combined £259m over the past two summers, whilst they have continued to splash the cash in the winter windows. Arsenal sporting director Edu is set to play a huge role in the upcoming market.
He will be at the heart of negotiations for the Gunners this summer and has already revealed that plans are already well underway. Speaking in March, the Brazilian said: “It’s already started [preparation for the summer], you know what’s happening [in] the market.
“Everybody’s working, everybody’s doing stuff, you have to plan ahead of people to be prepared, and when it gets to the summer, we are well-prepared.”
Reports have suggested that he is already closing in on his first deal of the summer. Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi is thought to be on the verge of a switch to the Emirates Stadium. He was previously linked with a switch to Barcelona and has a €60million (£52.8m) release clause written into his contract with his current employers.
