Mikel Arteta has been given the go-ahead by Arsenal to spend over £200 million on new signings, with two key players in his sights. The Gunners manager is reportedly keen to secure deals for Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo as a priority this summer, which could cost a combined £170 million. However, West Ham and Brighton are expected to demand top-dollar for their respective star players, meaning Arsenal will have to dig deep into their pockets. Rice could cost in excess of £100 million, while Caicedo is expected to command a fee of upwards of £70 million.
In addition to these two players, Arsenal are also looking to sign an attacking player and two defenders as they prepare for a big challenge next season. The Gunners will be competing in the Champions League for the first time since 2016/17, which means they will need quality cover to supplement their squad as they prepare to fight on all fronts. However, funds won’t be infinite, and Arsenal will need to offload players to fund some of their new arrivals.
Granit Xhaka is one of the bigger names who could depart, while the Gunners would also consider exits for Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Folarin Balogun, Rob Holding, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares and Cédric Soares. Arteta has some big decisions to make as he looks to build a squad capable of challenging for the title once again.