Arsenal is reportedly prepared for a summer of fun in north London after Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth detailed the Gunners’ transfer plans after the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign.
The Premier Leaders were hot on the trail of Brighton and Ecuadorian midfield talisman Moisés Caicedo in the final days of the January transfer window, with the Gunners having lodged two bids of £60m and £70m, only for the Seagulls to remain defiant and hold firm in their insistence that the 21-year-old was not for sale at any price halfway through the season.
Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu Gaspar are now sure to return to the negotiating table with Brighton in the summer, despite the finalization of the signing of Chelsea’s veteran Italian international midfielder Jorginho.
🚨 @skysports_sheth: “This will then fast forward into the summer, we’re going to have another saga again. Caicedo, Rice – Arsenal IN FOR BOTH of those, we think, in the summer.” [Sky] #afc
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) January 31, 2023
But neither the confirmed capture of the 31-year-old Champions League and Euro 2020 winner nor the desire to come back in for Caicedo is said to stop the club from also targeting West Ham United and England ace Declan Rice.
Arteta and Edu have continued to display their willingness to spend big on the right player after lodging a £90m bid for Ukrainian wonderkid Mykhailo Mudryk, matching Chelsea’s offer before the 21-year-old ultimately decided to move to Stamford Bridge, and were also willing to make a big offer for Caicedo despite Brighton’s stance on a winter move.
With it now clear that the club is willing to spend considerable figures on talent acquisition under the KSE ownership umbrella, it is entirely plausible to suggest that Arsenal may not balk at the prospect of having to part ways with up to £200m to land both Caicedo and Rice as the club would look to secure their future long-term partnership in the center of the park, once again moving the needle past what has been a chief duopoly in Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.
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