Stan Kroenke ‘approves £250m Arsenal transfer spree’ as Mikel Arteta eyes five signings
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke will provide the club with an eye-watering transfer budget of £250million this summer, with Mikel Arteta looking to build on this season’s eighth-placed finish in the Premier League, according to reports. The Gunners failed to escape the clutches of mid-table during the Spaniard’s first full campaign at the helm, missing out on European qualification for the first time in over 25 years.
The squad looks set for a large-scale overhaul in the coming weeks and months, with many players expected to leave the club ahead of the start of next season.
The likes of Hector Bellerin, Granit Xhaka, Bernd Leno, and Matteo Guendouzi appear to be facing uncertain futures at the Emirates Stadium and will need replacing if they are to seek pastures new this summer.
Meanwhile, Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard have returned to Real Madrid after their respective loan spells.
Significant levels of investment will be needed for Arsenal to stand any chance of returning to the upper reaches of the Premier League table next season, given their recent lack of quality and the number of expected departures.
This is a view seemingly shared by Kroenke, who is prepared to bankroll a comprehensive summer rebuild to the tune of £250m, according to 90min.
It is claimed that Arsenal are looking to target young, high-potential players with the ability to develop into more expensive assets, which is said to be a significant factor in Kroenke’s willingness to spend.
Arteta will reportedly push for at least five additions this summer, with the former Gunners playmaker hoping to land a goalkeeper, full-back, central defender and two central midfielders.
However, the report states that other signings could be on the agenda if players are sold to make room for new arrivals.
Arsenal are believed to be keeping tabs on a number of potential targets, with Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and Brighton and Hove Albion defender Ben White understood to be on the club’s radar.
The latter was reportedly the subject of a failed £40m bid earlier this week and it remains to be seen whether the Gunners will go back in for his services in the near future.
Norwich City right-back Max Aarons is also said to be an option for Arteta, with Bellerin likely to call time on his ten-year spell in north London before the start of the new campaign.
In the middle of the park, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Yves Bissouma, and James Maddison of Anderlecht, Brighton, and Leicester City respectively are understood to be on Arsenal’s shortlist.
Arteta revealed earlier this year that he is expecting to lead a summer of change ahead of next season, but stressed that a number of factors will influence the Gunners’ fortunes in terms of recruitment.
“We don’t know yet because we have so many things to do,” Arteta told reporters in March when quizzed on his transfer strategy.
“We have people on loan, people finishing contracts. There has been a lot going on in the last two transfer windows, the number of things that had to be done was probably unprecedented and it will be again in the summer.
“We are trying to put a plan together to see the resources that we have, how much we want to improve, how we’re going to do it, and at what cost. There are so many factors, it’s not just about one thing or an [financial] amount.
“It’s about the project and, timewise, how to build it is going to take some effort from everybody and we know that. The challenging moments that we are facing at the moment are making it even harder.”
