Mikel Arteta will be hoping to strengthen his squad considerably during the summer transfer window. The Gunners have come close to the Premier League in each of the last two seasons, running Manchester City close both times but ultimately falling short and finishing as runners-up.
To get over the line it may simply be a case of having the squad to challenge the relentless machine that is Pep Guardiola’s Man City when it comes to the crunch.
Arteta and technical director Edu are looking for a forward, as well as reinforcements in the defence and midfield areas. they may also look for a new goalkeeper should Aaron Ramsdale move on in search of game time, having lost his place to David Raya this season.
football.london takes a look at what a dream transfer window would really look like for Arteta’s men.
Arsenal’s guaranteed starters
Arsenal are almost certain to sign David Raya on a permanent deal from Brentford this summer, although that has not yet been completed. The £27million will be one of the signings Arteta makes this summer and he will be in goal for the season.
In front of him you would be hard pressed to find a better central defensive duo than Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba. those tow are not being replaced any time soon. Benjamin White is another who has impressed in that right-back role, good defensively and offensively and he is unlikely to be upgraded this summer.
In the midfield area Declan Rice signed for £105million last summer and that has looked an absolute steal just one season into his Arsenal career. Martin Odegaard is the captain and gets into most teams in the world too.
Kai Havertz was signed for £65million last summer and while we don’t quite know where he fits in, his second half to the season was outstanding and he’s not going to get upgraded in the transfer window you would not think.
Then there’s Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s ‘starboy’. One of the brightest talents in world football gets into this and probably every other team in the Premier League too.
Summer signings
That means the Gunners already have eight players that make up their dream starting lineup for the opening game against Wolves, meaning only three signings are required. And you could argue those three signings are in the areas Arteta and Edu are focusing on – one in defence, one in midfield, one up front.
That is if you play Havertz up top in his most favoured position of course. Left-back is the first position on the list that needs attention and there are two standout names here.
AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez is probably the best in the world right now, with Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies probably not too far behind. Signing either one of those would be an absolute dream.
Sign up to our Arsenal WhatsApp service and get all the latest breaking news and in-depth stories from football.london’s dedicated Arsenal writers direct to your phone by clicking this link.
Davies would be cheaper with his contract in Germany due to expire in 2025, although Hernandez’s deal only runs one more year to 2026.
Moving into midfield you’re heading to the Santiago Bernabeu for a dream signing there. Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga or Jude Bellingham would be sensational signings. Camavinga is the more likely of the three you would think with a mixed amount of minutes for Madrid this season, compared to the regulars Valverde and Bellingham.
Then up front. We’ll take Mbappe off the list because he has just signed for Real Madrid. New teammate Vinicius Jr would probably be the absolute dream, but a more likely option would be Rafael Leao from AC Milan or even Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, impressing at Euro 2024 for Georgia.
Arsenal’s dream lineup for 2024/25 Premier League opener: Raya; White, Gabriel, Saliba, Davies; Rice, Camavinga, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Leao.
Fancy free takeaway delivery, exclusive discounts, free music streaming and access to some of the best sports documentaries being made? These are just a few of the perks of Amazon Prime. Usually £8.99 a month, you can now get a 30-day free trial just in time for Amazon Prime Day, which brings the sites best deals of the year exclusively to Prime members.
