Arsenal are in a strong position with eight days remaining in the transfer window, but Mikel Arteta still wants more before the September 1 deadline. The Premier League champions began their title defence with a routine win over Coventry on Friday night, with summer signing Christos Tzolis starring in that victory.
Ezri Konsa was presented to fans ahead of kick-off following a £55million move from Aston Villa, while Bruno Guimaraes has arrived to strengthen midfield and Illan Meslier adds depth to the goalkeeping ranks. It has been a solid summer for the club, but there is also a need to move on certain players to trim a very large first-team squad.
Attacking options under consideration
Guimaraes' arrival has left Arteta with arguably the strongest midfield depth in world football, while Konsa's signing has addressed concerns over the right side of defence. If there is a position to target in the final days of the window, it is in attack.
The talk coming into the summer was that Arsenal were looking to make a marquee signing in the forward areas, most likely on the left wing. While Tzolis already looks to be a superb piece of business at £34m, the Gunners are still open to adding an elite forward to their ranks.
The pursuit of Vinicius Jr earlier this summer showed that Arsenal are willing to spend big on a superstar and that stance still remains. However, finding a player of that quality, who is available for a deal to be done in the space of a week, is not a simple task.
Julian Alvarez remains a dream signing
Julian Alvarez is the name that will not go away. The 26-year-old remains a dream signing for Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta, who knows the player and his representatives well from his time at Atletico Madrid.
Alvarez has made it clear that he wants to leave Atletico this summer but he remains desperate to join Barcelona. That is despite Atletico repeatedly insisting that they will not sell to their LaLiga rivals. Alvarez was booed by his own fans on Sunday and it remains to be seen whether the situation will have a resolution before the window shuts.
For Arsenal, it is a waiting game. If Alvarez gives them encouragement that he is open to moving back to England, there is every chance the club makes a serious move. It would likely take a fee of around £130m to test Atletico's stance and that remains a complicated deal to do.
Arsenal are also still believed to have interest in Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz. However, the Italian club continue to insist that the 21-year-old, who is contracted through to 2030, is not for sale. With Arsenal only interested in the top tier of attacking talent across Europe, it might be decided that the best move is to wait for future windows rather than making the wrong signing this summer.
Outgoings to fund new arrivals
Arsenal have plenty of work to do when it comes to outgoings. The club are open to selling Gabriel Martinelli for the right price, continuing the overhaul of the left wing. Martinelli was left out of the matchday squad for the Community Shield and the Premier League opener against Coventry.
The 25-year-old rejected a move to Turkey earlier this summer and has been keen to stay at Arsenal, but he has become more open to an exit after honest talks with Arteta over his place in the squad. Al-Hilal are in talks with Martinelli's camp after expressing interest in bringing the winger to Saudi Arabia.
Arsenal remain keen to sell Gabriel Jesus, who has entered the final year of his contract. Napoli are understood to be interested in the Brazilian, but they are unlikely to meet the £20m asking price and even less likely to match Jesus' huge wages. It is believed that Jesus is happy in England and so finding the right move for him has not been easy.
Arsenal are also working to move on Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson, who both returned to the club this summer after loan spells. Hamburg, where Vieira spent last season on loan, are still open to signing the 26-year-old. They opted against activating their £17m option to make the loan a permanent deal at the end of last season and are instead looking to agree a much lower fee.
Arsenal have been in talks with West Ham over a £3m permanent move for Nelson. Progress has been slow over the last week, though, and it is unclear how open Nelson is to dropping down to the Championship.
The club are still looking to find a loan move for Tommy Setford, while a final decision is yet to be made on the future of Ethan Nwaneri. There were suggestions earlier this summer that Arsenal could be set to sell the teenager, but it is believed that the club's preference is now for a loan move.
However, after a frustrating time at Marseille last season, there is a particular focus on finding the right club for Nwaneri. RB Leipzig are understood to be one of those interested in signing him on loan, though they have other players on their shortlist as well. Clubs in the Premier League are also monitoring Nwaneri’s situation.
