Arsenal legend wanted for sensational return, as Mikel Arteta eyes secret weapon: report

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants a former Gunner to return to London Colney as he prepares for another title assault.

The Basque boss is busy in the transfer market, looking to complete deals for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber this week ahead of Arsenal's preseason tour to the United States this month. William Saliba and Reiss Nelson look set to both sign new contracts, too.

Those four deals all follow Kai Havertz being announced as the north Londoners' first signing of the summer window, too – but one of the most exciting deals for avid Gooners might actually take place off the field. 

Santi Cazorla has just left Qatari side Al-Sadd and though rumours are rife that Villarreal could well offer him a third stint at the Yellow Submarine, he may well return to the Emirates Stadium, where he spent six years. 

Arteta is said to want Cazorla to become a member of his coaching staff, however, with football.london recently touting the possibility.

The mercurial Spaniard was regularly praised by team-mates as the most technically gifted player in north London during his Premier League stint and should he wish to move into coaching, it's likely that Arteta could offer him a role. Cazorla himself has been open to the idea, too.

“We’ll see,” Cazorla told the Athletic in January. “If I have the possibility to come back, I will be back. I don’t know which position in the club, as a coach or sports director. But of course, I would like to come back in the future.”

Arsenal have built a culture under Arteta of bringing former Gunners into the club's modern setup. Arteta himself captained Arsenal, while sporting director Edu Gaspar was an Invincible. Two of Arteta's former team-mates have big roles, too, with Per Mertesacker heading academy and development, with Jack Wilshere coaching the under-18 team.

Cazorla is 38 years old but only played his last Spain cap in 2019.

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Arsenal transfer news is ramping up this summer, with the Gunners set to loosen their wage structure to attract the best players.

Jurrien Timber looks to be next to join, Moises Caicedo is heavily linked, Xavi Simons is on the radar, Ivan Fresneda could join, though Arsenal could sell £100m worth of players, too. Romeo Lavia is in the crosshairs – though Liverpool want him, too. 

Meanwhile Folarin Balogun is being valued at £50m.