SETTABLOID

It is now less than a week until the summer transfer window opens for English sides.

Arsenal can officially start buying and selling players on Friday, June 14 with Edu and Mikel Arteta having up until 11pm on August 30 to build a squad capable of winning the game’s biggest honours.

Many believe it could be a busy period for the Gunners with a number of players expected to depart and arrive. Several first team stars face uncertain futures at Emirates Stadium and it will be fascinating to see which players are granted a move away.

It’s understood that Arsenal are extremely keen to strengthen in the coming months, too, with dozens of world class talent linked with the Gunners. But what will happen between June 14 and August 30? football.london’s Arsenal’s writers have tried to predict Arsenal’s summer transfer window below.

Arsenal will spend money in this window and have ambitions to strengthen many areas of the squad, some through their own ruthless choosing and others by necessity. The latter of which can certainly be attributed to the goalkeeper position with Aaron Ramsdale expected to leave. Mikel Arteta will again need another number two on top of David Raya whose move is expected to be made permanent.

The defence has got the age-old saying of “like a new signing” in the form of Jurrien Timber but should Oleksandr Zinchenko or Jakub Kiwior leave – both have been linked with exits and I think one could go – then Arsenal will need to add a left-sided player to the fold. With Jorrel Hato committing his future to Ajax perhaps this could be the area we see a surprise name pop up who few have mentioned.

Into midfield and this is where the club’s priority addition is, as I understand it, but also where there is a lack of obvious candidates. Should Arsenal have the money through sales, I’d expect them to consider Bruno Guimaraes but other options like Youssouf Fofana are available for much less – a Thomas Partey exit also seems a real possibility.

A centre-forward looks very likely too and I would expect the links to Benjamin Sesko to eventually bear fruit. A young and budding striker whose numbers are very impressive is the perfect addition to the side and upgrades the depth that Mikel Arteta already has.

Mikel Arteta wants to conduct any transfer business in the opening few weeks of the window but Euro 2024 and Copa America may make that tricky. I actually expect the Gunners to be far busier at the end of the window than the beginning.

Firstly, it’s clear a number of players must be moved on. Aaron Ramsdale, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah should be allowed to leave in my opinion. You would expect them to fetch decent fees and this would allow Edu to reinvest the money into the squad.

With exits means incomings. I expect a new goalkeeper, midfielder and at least one forward to be signed this window. The big question is who? Arsenal need a respectable No.2 who can be an able deputy for David Raya, who is expected to make his loan move from Brentford permanent. Koen Casteels, who is a free agent after his contract at Wolfsburg expired, or Josep Martínez, who has one year remaining on his Genoa contract, look ideal. I also like Wolves stopper Jose Sa who has been rumoured with an exit already.

Into midfield and I like the look of Everton’s Amadou Onana, who fits the type of player Arteta likes to work with. Frenkie de Jong may just be out of the Gunners’ reach but the Barcelona man would be my first choice if a deal is there to be done. Martin Zubimendi has also been heavily linked and the Gunners are interested which makes that one to watch.

Lastly, the forward line and I believe Arsenal may actually sign two players in this area. The first a versatile winger who can play in multiple positions across the front three. The second an out and out No.9 – a clinical finisher capable of firing the north Londoners to silverware. At the moment I like Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Tsygankov and Nico Williams but it’s a very fluid market and things could change. I expect some incomings won’t be completed until August, perhaps even deadline day!

Tom Coley

For a team that just finished second and seem to have plenty of the world at their door, Arsenal are going to be busy this summer. The three big transfers of 2023 may well look relatively small fry compared to what they could get up to.

The £200million spend might not be matched, but the activity certainly will be. Arteta and Edu need to clearout and revamp. Having not taken any steps towards really doing this in the past few years a lot of it will come down to what is possible in the coming months.

Expect Nketiah, Ramsdale, and Smith Rowe to leave, Tierney too. It wouldn’t be a surprise, depending on who is out there to come in, if one of Jesus or Zinchenko also made way. Partey could be on his way out as well.

That is a large core to rip out and replace no matter how much money they have to spend. It is also a risky strategy. The players listed – perhaps outside of Tierney – have experience now within a squad that has gone far into two title races and taken the first steps in Europe.

Coming in and a new striker is a priority. All roads point towards Sesko and his arrival would be exciting if nothing less. Bruno Guimaraes in midfield would be ideal but that looks unlikely. Alexander Isak would be even better if possible, but it doesn’t feel close.

Arsenal just need to ensure that they don’t leave themselves too short in back-ups and rotation options. Arteta tends not to turn to those outside his main 14 but losing the players Arsenal could would be a big overhaul to complete in one summer whilst staying at the same high levels.

Arsenal have made it clear to Napoli that they will not meet Victor Osimhen’s €130 million (£110.8m) release clause.

Mikel Arteta is looking to add a new striker to his squad after narrowly missing out on the Premier League title this season.

It’s understood that RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who scored 14 goals in the Bundesliga this season, is one of the top candidates on Arsenal’s shortlist and is available due to a €65m (£55.2m) release clause.

William Saliba admitted he had to win over Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta who often told the centre-back that he was often too ‘soft’ in training.

Sailba joined from French side St-Etienne five years ago for a £27million fee but initially struggled to force his way into the first team.

The centre-back spent two full seasons back on loan at France before finally being given an opportunity in Arteta’s side.

‘He taught me to have a good attitude,’ he said in an interview with L’Equipe.

‘He took me to another level. He is one of the best coaches in the world. He looks at all the details and hates defeat. We work on each match differently.’

After this summer’s Euros, Arsenal will resume their quest to win the league for the first time in over 20 years having fallen narrowly short last time around.

Saliba believes his side are continuing to make progress but is under no illusions tough challenge that they will face again from Pep Guardiola’s side.

‘We know even more today that Manchester City can make mistakes, but that from February and March, they don’t miss anymore,’ he said.

‘We played against them three times, we put them in difficulty. They feel and we feel that we are close to them. Next year, we’re going to have an even better war.’

Arsenal have now signalled that they would be willing to pay €60m (£51m) to sign one of Europe’s most promising midfield talents.

It’s certainly no secret Mikel Arteta wants to sign a new middle man this summer, someone who can complement Declan Rice’s arrival last.

Surprisingly, Rice thrived in a more advanced role last season, an experiment that Arteta could make permanent next.

Scoring seven goals, Rice enjoyed the best xG overperformance in the whole Arsenal squad last campaign, a remarkable feat.

And that partly explains why Arsenal may decide to sign a new number six this summer, allowing Rice to continue to enjoy this offensive freedom.

In terms of who Arsenal could target for their pivot, Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz appears an obvious target.

Arsenal have been told they can sign Luiz for a cut-price this summer, but it remains to be seen how strong their long-term interest remains.

Benfica’s 19-year-old superstar Joao Neves is a more recent addition to the shortlist, and Arsenal are now making advances.

Arsenal told £51m bid for Joao Neves will be rejected by Benfica this summer

According to Portuguese outlet Abola, Arsenal have now expressed their intention to send a bid of €60m (£51m) to Benfica for Neves, which will be rejected.

Manchester United are said to be in a similar position, with both clubs falling short of Neves’ €120m release clause.

And although there’s been no agreement yet, this report also confirms that Benfica are attempting to raise that clause up to €150m in recent contract talks.

Neves is a remarkable talent, as he once again proved on his full debut for Portugal recently.

And in terms of finding a talent who can complement Rice at Arsenal, Neves is perhaps the only young European midfielder who is showing the potential to reach the dizzy heights of Rice or even Manchester City’s Rodri.

Neves is destined to become ‘one of the best’, a player who is still so combative despite his comparatively small build compared to those mentioned.

And although Arsenal would appear reluctant to pay Neves’ full release clause this summer, they may be well advised to up their initial bid considerably.

All that being said, one Arteta signing who left the club a year ago for £10m is now back up for sale already.

Arsenal have now been quoted a cut-price for a midfielder Mikel Arteta is thought to have admired for a long while.

As part of the club’s plans to bridge the gap to Manchester City, Arteta wants Arsenal to sign a new striker, a new midfielder and a starting left-back.

Three sensible signings, and Edu will already be working diligently to execute those ambitions, with Arsenal already sending a bid for RB Leipzig centre-forward Benjamin Sesko.

Otherwise, it doesn’t seem as if Arsenal’s plans to sign a midfielder and defender have resulted in a bid just yet, even if there are several players on their radar.

And although signing a striker will be immensely important, it seems whoever comes in will play a back-up role to Kai Havertz, allowing time and patience to develop.

But any midfield signing will be intended to start, someone to play alongside Declan Rice – likely a number six.

And with that in mind, Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz has often been thought to be the club’s priority signing over the last year or so, a player Arteta and Edu both ‘dream’ of signing.

Arsenal told Aston Villa would sell Douglas Luiz for half-price this summer

Fortunately for those in north London, Aston Villa are said to be willing to sell Luiz this summer owing to their PSR limitations, a considerable change in stance.

And perhaps as a result of that need to raise funds, both Arsenal and Juventus – the two most interested clubs, have been quoted a significantly lower asking price than in the past.

Previously, Villa wanted as much as £100m for Luiz, likely citing Arsenal’s deal for Rice.

However, according to Brazilian source Lance, Unai Emery’s middle man will cost just £50m this summer.

The report confirms that Arsenal are still very interested, and perhaps the club will be buoyed by this update which could present an irresistible opportunity.

It seems odd to consider that Villa would be forced to sell Luiz following their Champions League qualification.

However, Premier League sides recently rejected the club’s proposal to increase PSR losses by £30m, meaning the club will likely need to raise capital before June 30.

And somewhat surprisingly, Luiz has emerged as the most obvious asset to sell, perhaps because Emery would refuse to lose Ollie Watkins.

All that being said, one Arteta signing who only left Arsenal just a year ago is now back up for sale.

Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli earned his tenth cap for Brazil last night scoring his country’s second goal in a 3-2 win against Mexico.

Despite being a friendly, it was a hotly contested affair and Martinelli was given a chance to start in his customary left-wing role he plays at Arsenal.

Gabriel Magalhaes was on the bench on this occasion, one of several rested players.

But any Arsenal fans watching on will have been treated to a midfield pair who have both been linked to the club, Atalanta’s Ederson and Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz – who is already very familiar.

Incidentally, Arsenal have just been told they can sign Luiz for a cut-price before the month is over, which could change their summer plans significantly.

But in terms of Martinelli, the winger will be purely focused on proving his worth right now after a frustrating campaign.

Leandro Trossard ended the season as Mikel Arteta’s first choice on the left, often leaving Martinelli on the bench.

It has been a quiet start to the summer for Mikel Arteta, all things considered, but plenty is bubbling in the background. Players are starting to speak openly about their futures and the plans for the transfer window, whilst deals are being worked on.

With the European Championships just around the corner we’ll be all over the most recent reports and updates from the world of the Emirates Stadium and beyond! For now the attention is very much on Sesko and exits for squad players, but a new midfielder is on the radar too, as are some left-back options.

Joao Neves and Dominic Solanke are both players linked with the club and both have pretty substantial release clauses to keep an eye on. There are also some more rogue suggestions of Federico Chiesa knocking about as well as Amadou Onana once more.

William Saliba recalls what Mikel Arteta told him

“He taught me to have a good attitude,’ he said in an interview with L’Equipe. “Sometimes he thought I was a little soft in training so he asked me to be meaner. In fact, he wants the players to be scared when he sees me.