Mikel Arteta is on course to be among the Premier League big spenders again this summer.
Arsenal have agreed a £45m deal for Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus which is the most eye-catching transfer so far. Brazil star Jesus is due to be announced and is the sort of deal to bring a feeling of excitement among Arsenal fans.
But they have also brought in Portugal Under-21 star Fabio Vieira for £34m and have announced the £5m arrival of USA keeper Matt Turner from New England Revolution. Brazilian teenager Marquinhos has arrived for £3m as one for the future.
The deals underline Arsenal’s ambition and determination to back Arteta’s much-lauded “process” ahead of the 2022/23 season. But there could yet be more as they are keen on Leeds’ Brazil star Raphinha and are determined to fend off competition from Manchester United to sign Ajax’s versatile defender Lisandro Martinez.
Ajax have been holding firm on a £50m-plus valuation but Arsenal have been working on a move for Martinez for the last two months and believe the Argentina international will be allowed to leave. They are still long term admirers of Leicester ’s Youri Tielemans as they have also looked for a ready-made attacking midfielder to improve the line-up but, with other options, that does not seem such a pressing matter.
This summer was always due to be a matter of quality over quantity and, having spent close to £160m last year on bolstering the squad, they are making big moves in the market. Last season they got themselves back in European competition but just missed out on the Champions League but resisted going all-out in January to make a push for the top four.
Instead, they decided to be patient, stick with the long term vision and also not panic into deals and rather wait for their long term targets. That felt like a missed opportunity having finished just behind Tottenham who nicked fourth place from under Arsenal’s noses.
But there was a lot of work done in January in terms of trimming the wage bill with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leading a clear-out which balanced the books. More often than not it is contracts rather than transfer fees that can push a club over their spending limits.
Now they have more freedom to make moves and reshape the squad. They want to offload £72m record signing Nicolas Pepe and will probably have to take a major hit but his departure may ease the move for Raphinha.
Arsenal are not alone in trying to sign Raphinha with Chelsea and Tottenham watching developments while the Leeds star may prefer Barcelona but they are struggling to find the ready cash.
Jesus now comes in as Arsenal’s first choice centre forward and they have tied down Eddie Nketiah to a new deal. They are also determined to keep Bukayo Saka who is entering the final two years of his contract but the summer spending underlines the club’s ambition.
There is huge competition for Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe who must step up and rise to the challenge. Vieira is a versatile player who can play in various attacking positions while Martinez would be a big addition as he can play as a centre half, is good on the ball and his stats in the tackle and duels are outstanding so he can fill various roles.
They are also banking on William Saliba coming back from his loan, joining the squad and suddenly, even though Arsenal have the extra fixtures with the Europa League, they are moving towards a squad capable of pushing for the top four.
NEW DEALS
Fabio Vieira - £34m, Porto
Matt Turner - £5m, New England Revolution
Marquinhos - £3m, Sao Paolo
INCOMING
Gabriel Jesus - £45m, Manchester City
