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The three anticipated moves that will turn Arsenal into Arteta’s dream team

By on February 18, 2024

Ivan Toney Brentford

According to John Cross of The Mirror, Mikel Arteta may unleash his dream Arsenal team next season after three anticipated transfers.

When Arteta left Manchester City at the end of 2019, they were considered the dream team. Pep Guardiola and his skilled assistant Arteta did a fantastic job at the Manchester club. The citizens oozed quality. Arsenal’s decision-makers, eager to transform their team into a top team, chose to ‘steal’ one of City’s tactical geniuses, Arteta, in order to save them.

Arteta was tasked with helping the Gunners rediscover their identity and reclaim their competitive advantage. He was tasked with outwitting his mentor, Guardiola, and transforming Arsenal into genuine contenders again.

Arsenal, the real deal

Arsenal have undoubtedly rediscovered its identity and are now competitive. However, we can all agree that they are not the real deal….. yet. Fortunately, Arsenal’s decision-makers, led by Arteta, understand what they need to make the next step.

According to journalist John Cross in a report for the Mirror, the Gunners know they need to make three signings: two in attack and one in midfield. Cross claims the Gunners hope to be free to spend in the summer following a difficult winter in which FFP prevented them from making new recruits.

Overspending last summer necessitated headline sales in the winter to make vital additions. And, as stated in the report, Arsenal will not recruit anyone unless they are of high quality to push the existing squad.

According to the report, Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Ivan Toney (Brentford), and either Pedro Neto (Wolves) or Nico Williams (Athletico Bilbao) are the main targets for Arsenal this summer.

Declan Rice has performed admirably as Arsenal’s No.6 this season. However, Cross claims the £105 million 2023 signing may have a new position next season, as Arteta wants to sign Zubimendi and use him as a No. 6.

Zubimendi is a disciplined player who can sit deep, is effective in possession and under pressure, and has a great passing range. Those traits persuade Arteta that the Spaniard can be Arsenal’s long-term holding midfielder, while Rice can be transformed into an all-action box-to-box star.

The Gunners feel their prospective No. 6 (Zubimendi) will be excited about the prospect of moving to the Premier League, and they are also aware that his deal can be completed by activating his £50 million release clause (as per Football London).

Arsenal’s need for a striker has been widely reported. It would be astonishing if they didn’t sign one in the summer. So, Brentford’s Ivan Toney is the player they are interested in, according to Cross. According to Rudy Galetti, a swoop for the Englishman might be cost-effective, as he will be entering the final year of his contract at G Tech Stadium and Brentford could be forced to sell for just £55m this summer.

There’s also a need for another winger to provide options in wide areas. According to Cross, Pedro Neto is one of Arsenal’s prime targets and he’s reportedly available for around £60m at the end of the season. That means Arsenal may need to pay around £165m to sign Zubimendi, Toney and Neto.

Nico Williams is reportedly the other winger target and he may cost slightly less with a release clause of around £43m, so the Gunners may opt for the Athletic Bilbao star if they need to save some money.

If Arsenal have a successful transfer window and these deals are made, the Gunners should have a complete squad that’s capable of competing on all fronts for years to come.