Arsenal transfer round-up: New signings, shock sale and new striker?

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Despite enjoying a brilliant campaign for the majority of last season, Arsenal failed to continue their momentum during the business end and eventually ended up losing the title to Manchester City. So, Mikel Arteta has decided to spend big in this transfer window to bridge the gap with the Citizens and challenge on all fronts this term.

The North London club’s excellent campaign was derailed after William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu were injured in March. Many fans who have Arsenal tickets thought the duo’s absence was the main issue behind the Gunners’ downfall last season so they have decided to strengthen their backline in this transfer window.

Jurrien Timber

Jurrien Timber has been signed for a fee of around £38m from Ajax. He is a centre-back by traits but can also play in the fullback position. Due to his small stature, he is likely to be deployed as a fullback more regularly and in that case, Ben White is likely to be used as a backup to Saliba.

However, the Dutchman was forced off due to a knee issue early in the game against Nottingham Forest during Arsenal’s opening fixture of this season’s Premier League campaign. The versatile defender is now facing at least six months on the sidelines.

It has been suggested that the Emirates clubs are exploring the possibility of signing a new defender after Timber’s injury with Aymeric Laporte being mentioned as a serious target. So, it remains to be seen whether they sign another defender this summer.

Declan Rice

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has decided to spend big this summer to strengthen the engine room. He has signed Declan Rice for a record £105m fee after selling Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen.

The former West Ham United star likes to be deployed in the holding midfield position however, it seems Arteta is planning to play him in the number eight role and it remains to be seen how he performs in that position.

Kai Havertz

Surprisingly Arteta has opted to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea in a £65m deal and eyebrows were raised following the Gunners boss’ this decision.

The German struggled to perform at his best over the last few years in the Premier League so it remains to be seen how Arteta can manage to bring the best out of him.

It seems the Spanish boss has been attracted by Havertz’s versatility as he can be deployed anywhere across the attacking midfield position and also can play in the centre-forward role.

The Gunners boss has already taken benefit of that after using him in the number eight position during the pre-season and against Forest this weekend while playing him in the central forward against the Citizens in the Community Shield.

Thomas Partey’s potential exit & new midfielder

After moving to the Emirates Stadium back in 2020, Thomas Partey has established himself as one of the integral parts of Arteta’s system over the last few years. However, he has struggled with injury issues since the switch.

Partey was instrumental in the Gunners’ excellent performances during the early stages of last season. But, after returning from an injury problem, the 30-year-old struggled to showcase his best and that was seemingly one of the reasons behind Arsenal’s downfall last term. Jorginho was signed back in January to support the African but Arsenal didn’t look the same without Partey.

Therefore, it was initially suggested that the Gunners boss was open to cashing-in on Thomas Partey and is willing to sign a second midfielder as a potential replacement for the Ghanaian. Several players were linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium with Romeo Lavia being mentioned as the primary target.

It was even reported that the North London club opened formal talks with Southampton to acquire his service. However, in the end, they decided not to push forward with this deal.

Now, it has been suggested that Arteta has taken a U-turn and is willing to keep Partey at the club. It has even been reported that the Spaniard will only change his mind if a big offer is tabled by his potential suitors. So, it appears Arsenal are planning their future with the African in their squad.

David Raya

After cashing-in on Matt Turner, Arsenal have decided to make a move for a new goalkeeper this summer and have signed David Raya from Brentford for a season-long loan deal with an option to make the move permanent.

It seems Arteta has decided to provide competition for Aaron Ramsdale as he started to look a bit shaky during the later stages of last season and pre-season.

However, he was excellent in the Gunners’ victory over Man City in the Community Shield and also was solid in the opening league fixture versus Forest. So, he is likely to remain as the first-choice goalkeeper for Arsenal at the moment and Raya will have to wait for a bit long to make his debut.

Raya was one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League last season so he wouldn’t accept spending a season as the backup to Ramsdale. So, it is going to be interesting to see how Arteta can keep both of them happy by providing proper game-time this season.

Do Arsenal need a new striker?

Arsenal signed Gabriel Jesus last summer to strengthen their frontline but his time at the Emirates Stadium has been plagued with injury problems. After sustaining a knee issue during the World Cup, he was sidelined for an extensive period last season.

He has suffered a knee issue again ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and has undergone surgery because of that. So, he is set to remain sidelined for a few weeks.

The Brazilian has never been a prolific goal-scorer and he showcased inefficiency in front of the goal during big games last season. Eddie Nketiah is an option for Arsenal but he doesn’t have the experience of playing at the highest level. Kai Havertz has been signed to add depth in the striker department but he isn’t a specialist centre-forward.

So, although Arsenal may opt to go with the current options for this season, they may need a new prolific striker to achieve success going forward.

Zinchenko injury concerns

After joining the club, Oleksandr Zinchenko has established himself as an integral part of Mikel Arteta’s system. But his persistent injury issues are a sign for Arteta that he needs a new left-back in the future.

Arsenal have decided to transfer-list Kieran Tierney and are looking to sign a new option to replace the Scotsman. So, it remains to be seen who the Gunners opt to sign to strengthen their defence if he moves away.

Gabriel Magalhaes concerns

The Brazilian’s tendency of making bad errors has become a real concern for Arteta. So, the Spanish boss decided to start the new season without him.

If he can’t overcome that problem then Arsenal should consider signing a new left-footed centre-back as Jakub Kiwior hasn’t been able to find his feet in the Premier League yet.

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