Arsenal have agreed moves for their first two signings of the summer, with another two in talks.
The Gunners' season is essentially over now, following the 3-1 aggregate loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last night, as manager Mikel Arteta watched his team crash out of the last competition they were still in.
The loss posed several questions of Arsenal's squad and the lack of difference-makers available to Arteta – especially with the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus out with long-term injuries – with focus now switching to the summer.
Arsenal have made strong progress on deals ahead of the summer
In the immediate aftermath of the loss in Paris, Arteta refused to be drawn on whether his side needed reinforcements this summer – but did hint that the lack of attacking options harmed his side.
“I'm very proud to coach the players that we have, and within that, we create chances and situations and normally they are goals,” the Basque boss said in his post-match press conference.
“But again, sometimes you have to applaud the position, what the keeper has done, not just in this tie, in both times – he won be the game for them. And you need that to win a competition, you need that. In one of the two boxes, somebody has to do something special to win it for you and make it happen, and that was the difference.”
As much as Arsenal's need for a new striker has been discussed by pundits and fans a-like, the club have already agreed terms with Espanyol goalkeeper, Joan Garcia, with Spanish outlet AS reporting in February that should Arsenal re-submit their €20 million bid from last summer, the Catalan club would accept “without hesitation”.
Now, TEAMtalk are relaying reports that any last-minute nerves that Real Madrid could hijack Martin Zubimendi's move to the Emirates Stadium have been settled with Los Blancos pulling out of the race altogether.
Renowned journalist Sami Mokbel reported for the Mail in January that the deal was “virtually done”, with the Athletic's David Ornstein telling NBC Sports two weeks ago that the North Londoners are, “acting internally as if that is a done deal.”
With two first-choice targets in goal and at no.6 secured when it comes to personal terms, talks are ongoing for another versatile centre-back and another wide attacker to add depth to this side.
Recently, Arsenal's new sporting director Andrea Berta has stepped up negotiations for Valencia man Cristhian Mosquera amid uncertainty over the fitness and futures of several defenders, while Jamie Gittens is currently in talks, too, having been somewhat cast aside by Borussia Dortmund boss Niko Kovac since his arrival midseason.
FourFourTwo understands that the Mosquera deal is more likely than Gittens – though both indicate the direction of the North Londoners' summer from here.
How Zubimendi's £51m release clause affects the books is yet to be determined, with the Gunners potentially able to amortise the fee over the next few years – but FourFourTwo understands that should all four active deals cross the line, the Gunners are looking at a summer spend of somewhere between £125m and £140m.
It's unknown what kind of summer transfer budget Arsenal will then have from there: while a nine-figure move for a player like Alexander Isak might still be possible without a major sale, Arsenal will have to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and may have to either sell a key asset to complete a marquee signing, or settle for a cheaper option like the £50m-related Viktor Gyokeres.
Arsenal take on Liverpool this weekend, as Premier League action returns.
