ARSENAL’S determination to get deals done quickly this summer has left their European rivals stunned – including Barcelona.
SunSport understands that the speed at which the Gunners have been lining up and progressing with targets – talking to key figures in player camps – has taken other clubs aback, who are now being forced to recalibrate and rethink their own transfer window strategy.
GettyMikel Arteta could finally sign a striker[/caption]
GettyArsenal are expected to sign midfielder Martin Zubimendi[/caption]
Viktor Gyokeres has excelled at Sporting LisbonGetty
Benjamin Sesko is also an Arsenal targetShutterstock Editorial
Barca are among several teams on the continent who have felt Arsenal’s aggression and presence in the majority of their preparations, with sources close to those clubs telling SunSport that they expect to be blown out of the water in comparison.
Arsenal have often had a reputation for taking their time when doing their summer business, but they are hoping to change that with a window to remember – one that could see them match the £200m they spent in 2023.
Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi has practically been wrapped up since January with a £51m deal for the Spaniard agreed – his signing is expected to be one of their first deals to be rubber stamped and announced in the coming weeks.
Those early negotiations have freed up Arsenal’s recruitment team – including new sporting director Andrea Berta – to line up an elite No.9, a position they desperately need to strengthen.
SunSport has previously reported that boss Mikel Arteta is desperate to get big names over the line early in this window – one that has been split in two by the Club World Cup – in order to give him the best possible pre-season with a fresh-faced squad before heading to Singapore and Hong Kong in mid-July.
Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres is looking more and more likely to be one of those names with Arsenal hoping to secure the Swedish international for between £60m and £70m and the Portuguese club not wanting this saga to drag on into the summer.
SunSport understands Gyokeres, 26, is ready for a change of scenery after a two-season spell that has seen him net 95 goals in 100 appearances in all competitions.
And Arsenal realise what a unique opportunity this is – a player in his prime with such a good goal-scoring record for a fee that could be considered a huge bargain compared to the £100m-plus demands from Newcastle for 25-year-old Alexander Isak.
Manchester United are unlikely to convince Gyokeres to reunite with old Sporting boss Ruben Amorim – even if they do win the Europa League – while Barca have opted out, preferring to wait until Robert Lewandowski is out of contract next summer before signing top target Julain Alvarez from Atletico Madrid.
Benjamin Sesko remains an option – having scouted him a lot when considering a January move for the Slovenian – but there remain concerns the 21-year-old from Red Bull Leipzig is still a few years off his very best.
GettyNico Williams is a top target for Arteta[/caption]
Arteta would also love to see Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams through the door. The Spanish winger, 21 – with a £50m release clause but hefty wage demands – is aware of the Arsenal manager’s plans and vision for him with head-turning attempts being made.
SunSport understands that Barca have tasked Lamine Yamal with secret scout duties, trying to convince his compatriot to make the Camp Nou switch, but the Catalan club’s financial difficulties may hand Arsenal another free run.
LOOKMAN OPTION?
Ademola Lookman also has admirers at the Emirates after a few stellar years at Atalanta.
But there are some hesitations over any move for him.
The 27-year-old winger’s age has some at Arsenal concerned over whether he has hit his ceiling, and if that could hinder any future sell-on plans.
Lookman – valued at around £50m – also appears to be happy again in Italy following Atalanta’s qualification for the Champions League next season, currently third in Serie A.
A public spat with manager Gian Piero Gasperini back in February over a missed penalty that saw Atalanta knocked out of the Champions League by Club Brugge appeared to spell the end for Lookman.
But the former Charlton and Leicester man has enjoyed a good end to the campaign since then and is prepared to see out a contract that expires in the summer of 2027.
Liverpool are also keeping tabs on his situation with reports of a potential swap-deal involving Federico Chiesa, something Arsenal are not interested in matching.
GettyArsenal could face competition from Liverpool for Ademola Lookman[/caption]
TAVARES PARTING GIFT
Arsenal’s transfer kitty will require some injection from player sales, and full-back Nuno Tavares is set to be the first one out the door.
The 25-year-old joined Lazio on loan last summer with an obligation-to-buy clause in the contract that has now been hit thanks to the Italian side’s Serie A position.
The Gunners should receive around £6.5m – making a slight loss having bought him for around £8m from Benfica in the summer of 2021.
But more money could still be made on Tavares with Lazio rumoured to want to sell the Portuguese defender straight away and Arsenal having a 25 per cent sell-on clause.
SunSport understands that Arsenal now include these clauses in most player sales after being burned and left short-changed on deals in the past.
GettyNuno Tavares will join Lazio permanently[/caption]
NO PANIC FOR NWANERI
Ethan Nwaneri’s limited action in recent weeks has frustrated many Gunners fans, starting none of their last seven in all competitions.
The winger, still only 18, has scored nine goals across 36 appearances this season.
But despite Arsenal’s desperate need for goals in the Champions League semi-final with PSG he played barely a minute in the home leg and remained on the bench throughout the second leg encounter at the Parc des Princes.
Mikel Arteta, though, insists he has no option but to protect one of his long-term assets.
Arteta explained: “There are moments and players are used more and less.
“He’s played a lot, probably more than anybody expected for sure.
“In the last few games, because of the games and the context, we decided not to play him that much. It can change very quickly.”
AFPEthan Nwaneri has struggled for game time recently[/caption]
MONEY TALKS
Tottenham have seen their ‘Most Profitable Premier League Side’ title snatched away from them by rivals Arsenal.
The Gunners had held that tag from the early 2000s all the way up to 2019 until Spurs leapfrogged them following the construction of their incredible billion-pound stadium.
In 2020, Spurs were making a profit of around £440m compared to Arsenal’s £410m, thanks largely to the revenue produced by their stadium that was now financially dwarfing the Emirates.
Yet the tables have been turning ever since 2022 following Arsenal’s return to the Champions League and Tottenham’s slump in form and league position.
And in 2024, Arsenal took top spot – only just – with profits of around £183.6m compared to Tottenham’s £183.2m.
This could all change should Ange Postecoglou win the Europa League and earn the club a shot at returning to the Champions League while in 17th in the Prem.
GettyArsenal made profits of £183.6m in 2024[/caption]
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