Whether Arsenal go on to win the Premier League or not, the North London club are back on the map and with a Champions League spot almost guaranteed, they’ll be able to be more active in the transfer market.
With that in mind, Arsenal and Arteta are aiming high, as they look to bolster their credentials in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.
Serbian striker keen on move
Attention has turned to former Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, who is rumoured to be open to a move to England in the summer.
Arsenal wanted to sign the Serb last campaign, but Vlahovic opted to join Juventus instead – a decision which has gone against him due to off field incidents.
Despite the interest, the Gunners do have Gabriel Jesus, who has missed a large part of the season due to injury, as well as the progressive Eddie Nketiah who has stepped up when it mattered.
However, Arsenal will also have Folarin Balogun back, who has impressed during his loan spell with Reims, scoring seventeen goals in 28 Ligue 1 matches. The 21-year-old has scored against Marseille, Rennes and most impressively away to PSG to equalise in the 95th minute.
Do Arsenal need another striker? Perhaps not, but Vlahovic is a proven forward who’s scored eight Serie A goals in 19 appearances this season.
England midfielder may move on to boost career
Money may be spent better elsewhere, and one of the biggest names linked with Arsenal is West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice.
The 24-year-old has continued to prove his worth this season, despite West Ham struggling at the wrong end of the table. However, recent wins over Nottingham Forest and Southampton have slowly pulled the Hammers way from the relegation zone.
If West Ham are to stay in the Premier League, this doesn’t guarantee them keeping their captain, but they are unlikely to let him go for anything less than £100m, even if he decides to hand in a transfer request.
It’s safe to say that Arsenal aren’t the only club looking at Declan Rice, with Manchester United also rumoured to be interested. He would also likely be Arsenal’s entire budget for the transfer window, and the club has been known to pull out of deals which have become too expensive.
An example of that would be Mykhailo Mudryk, who was on the verge of joining the North London club before Chelsea swooped in and priced Arsenal out of the transfer.
Expect Arsenal to remain sensible in the summer transfer window, but if they are to win the Premier League and return to the Champions League this season, a lot more power will be in their hands when it comes to negotiations.
