Arsenal are ready to spend big in the summer transfer window after already confirming the £65million signing of Kai Havertz. Mikel Arteta pushed for the German's signature with a view of playing him in an attacking midfield role as he puts plans in place ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Next through the door at the Emirates Stadium is likely to be West Ham captain Declan Rice. The Gunners have agreed a £105million deal in principle to sign the 24-year-old with the Hammers giving Rice the green light to complete a medical as the two clubs iron out the final details of his proposed move.
Arsenal's £100million plus £5million add-ons offer proposed the guaranteed portion of the fee be paid over the course of four years. West Ham ideally want the cash paid in two instalments by the start of 2025, but the issue has been described as minor and not a point that will see the deal collapse, with both clubs now working towards reaching an agreement.
football.london reported in January that Rice is the Gunners' primary target for the summer window, with Arteta keen to bolster his midfield options. Another deal that looks likely is Jurrien Timber's move to north London from Ajax.
The Gunners saw their initial £30million offer turned down by the Eredivisie club, while football.london understands a much larger fee will be needed to prise him away. It has now been reported that a £43.5million deal is 'close' and could be completed early in July.
Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo and Aurelien Tchouameni have all been linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium as well this summer, so how are Arsenal able to fund their huge spending spree? Football Finance Expert Kieran Maguire has explained how the Gunners have a key advantage over their rivals in the transfer market this summer.
READ MORE: Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: Medical booked, Declan Rice deal, Nwaneri contract, Tchouameni move
Maguire told Sky Sports News: "Arsenal are actually in a very strong position when it comes to spending. The reason for that is because they've managed to get their wages under control.
"Arsenal's wages are lower than they were back in 2018. They're around £150million-£170million per year less than Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City - so that's giving them the flexibility to go into the market to buy new players, without having to worry too much.
"Plus, they've got the additional benefits of Champions League matches coming in, premium prices and the minimum prize money of around £15million from being participants [in the Champions League]. So, you factor all of that together and they've probably still got a bit of leeway over what they can spend in this present window.
"They've had a retrenchment, they've been through some fallow years when they weren't qualifying for the Champions League. They've managed to get rid of high earners - the likes of [Mesut] Ozil and [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang off that payroll - and that's given them the ability to go into the market and be very competitive.
"Arsenal used to be known as the 'Bank of England' club. They've always been well-run financially and I think this change, in terms of spending, is a reward for Mikel Arteta in terms of his ability to get them into those Champions League places again which means so much in terms of enhanced revenue."
