Arsenal’s summer transfer drama is heating up – Mikel Arteta, with a squad that’s finished second in the Premier League for three straight years, is determined to aim higher next season. The Gunners have already splashed over £120 million to sign Martin Zubimendi, Kepa, Christian Norgaard, and Noni Madueke, yet they’re still hungry in the transfer market: deals for Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyökeres and Valencia defender Christian Mosquera are in the final straight, and Arteta has been blunt: "We’re still short on numbers!"
This summer has seen a major overhaul of Arsenal’s squad: Nuno Tavares and Marquinhos have moved to Lazio and Cruzeiro respectively; Jorginho, Kieran Tierney, and Thomas Partey left after their contracts expired; and the club even terminated Takehiro Tomiyasu’s contract a year early. With four arrivals and six departures, Arteta still believes "the depth and quality of the squad need to be raised": "The window still has a long way to go, and we’re still looking. For now, we’re focused on the players we have – I’m very happy with what I’ve seen in the last 10-15 days."
The arrival of new faces has indeed injected energy into the team – Arteta likened the signings to "shaking the tree": "New faces… they bring new excitement and new energy. We’ve also signed very important players. I think everyone feels the bar has to be set higher, and that’s what we’re chasing."
Tottenham target Arsenal’s aim
Arsenal have been linked with a move for Bayern Munich midfielder João Palhinha, but Tottenham have now emerged as contenders for his signature.
Reports earlier this month stated that the Gunners "showed strong interest" in Palhinha, who impressed in the Premier League with Fulham before joining Bayern last summer. However, new reports suggest Tottenham are also interested in the Portuguese international.
Palhinha struggled for game time last season, making just six Bundesliga starts, with Vincent Kompany preferring Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, and Aleksandar Pavlović in midfield.
Arsenal hope to complete the signing of Viktor Gyökeres soon, a deal that has dragged on for weeks.
Sporting Lisbon defender Iván Fresneda spoke about the ongoing saga after their 1-0 pre-season friendly win over Sunderland on Monday. When asked how the team was dealing with the transfer talk, Fresneda replied: "You won’t like this answer, but it’s not my responsibility."
Sporting CP are said to be interested in Almería forward Luis Suárez as a potential replacement for Gyökeres, with the Spanish club’s sporting director recently telling CNN Portugal: "So far, we’ve had no official contact with Sporting CP. We haven’t received any official or unofficial approaches, but we have contact with other clubs and are progressing negotiations with them."
