Mikel Arteta has reportedly ‘identified’ Arsenal’s ‘next signing’ and Fabrizio Romano has backed them to pull off a last-minute transfer on one condition.
Arsenal have already secured most of their priority transfer targets in this summer’s window, investing around £200m to land Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres.
This makes for a successful window for the Gunners, who are looking to bridge the gap to Liverpool to win the Premier League after finishing second in three consecutive seasons.
Arsenal’s push for the Premier League title in 2025/26 got off to a positive start as they beat Man Utd 1-0 on Sunday, though they were far from their best and were somewhat fortunate to take all three points.
Most of Arteta‘s key players did not find their groove in their opening game, with Gabriel Martinelli’s worrying performance on the left wing sparking fresh speculation about the north London club replacing the Brazil international before the transfer window closes.
Martinelli has not developed as quickly as Bukayo Saka and is starting to hold Arsenal back, so it’s hardly surprising that a new report from The Mirror claims Arteta ‘wants to strengthen his left wing options’ as his ‘identified next signing’.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with Eberechi Eze this summer, though a move for the Crystal Palace star currently looks unlikely as he’s closing in on a switch to Tottenham Hotspur.
This leaves Arsenal scouring the market for alternatives, but The Mirror have pointed out that they ‘must sell before doing more transfer business’.
The report explains:
‘[Another signing] is currently out of Arsenal’s reach because they have a bloated squad with all their new £200m-plus worth of arrivals but they have so far struggled to get players out of the door with the spotlight on sporting director Andrea Berta to balance the books.
‘Arsenal signed Noni Madueke from Chelsea for £52m but Gabriel Martinelli started the season at Old Trafford and there is a feeling that they would still like to bring in extra quality. But the interest in Eze did not progress because that would also block off the pathway for Ethan Nwaneri and Dowman getting first team opportunities.’
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The Mirror also mentioned that Leandro Trossard is the ‘most likely to go at this stage’ as he is attracting interest from ‘Brentford, Aston Villa and several foreign clubs’.
Fabrizio Romano, meanwhile, has backed Arsenal to make a move for wantaway Atalanta star Ademola Lookman, though Trossard needs to leave to open the door to a late-window deal.
He said: If Trossard decides to leave, [Lookman] could be an opportunity.”
