Arsenal's transfer business is moving along swiftly as Mikel Arteta looks to build a squad capable of winning the Premier League and capable of challenging for the Champions League. The Spaniard saw his project kick into overdrive in the past year as they moved from top-four outsiders to title challengers.
While they set an electric pace to begin with, an eventual drop-off meant they had to settle for second, but there was clear evidence for the current plan working. It has seen the head coach backed immensely in the transfer window this summer, with some huge deals completed.
Kai Havertz has already made the switch to Arsenal from London rivals Chelsea for a £65million fee, with Arteta hinting at a position in the midfield for the 24-year-old. Beyond the German international, there's a move for Declan Rice as an agreement in principle worth £105million has been made, as football.london understands the club-record offer was tabled on Tuesday.
Then there's a deal for Jurrien Timber, with the Ajax defender already agreeing personal terms ahead of a deal that could be worth just over £40million. All in all, the three moves represent a huge outlay, but for players with all the traits required to play for Arteta and with the hope that they will move the side closer to the top.
It remains to be seen if they will do that, but such swift business means attention can switch elsewhere with plenty of the window left to go. There are two clear priorities that the north London outfit must pivot their attention to when it comes to the weeks ahead of them.
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One of those is looking at moving players on to get the ideal balance within the squad ahead of the huge season that is coming. football.london understands that Nicolas Pepe, Folarin Balogun and Auston Trusty are all free to leave the club in the summer transfer window.
Meanwhile, there's uncertainty surrounding the future of the likes of Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Cedric Soares, Charlie Patino and Thomas Partey. Granit Xhaka has already agreed a move to Bayer Leverkusen, per recent reports, though that move will only be confirmed with the signing of another midfielder.
While moving some players on will be key, the second priority may be to look at another option in the midfield that could play the deeper role in the future. Romeo Lavia has been touted as an option from Southampton, while Moises Caicedo is a slightly more expensive choice this summer.
It remains to be seen how the Gunners attack the situation in the weeks ahead, however they may be able to rest a bit easier once their three priority targets are through the doors.
