According to reports, Arsenal will sign “two very decent players” after completing the signing of Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori.
Arsenal are expected to confirm the signing of Italian international Calafiori in the coming days.
Their business will be far from finished following the addition of the 22-year-old, with Mikel Arteta targeting a new midfielder and forward.
It is unclear if the Spaniard will attempt to sign an out-and-out striker or decide to go into the new season with Kai Havertz as his No. 9.
Arteta also has Eddie Nketiah at his disposal but the player is being strongly linked with a move to Ligue 1 giants Marseille.
Looking at all of the current rumours, it looks like Arteta’s priority after Calafiori is to sign a central midfielder.
Arsenal paid over £100million to sign Declan Rice from West Ham last summer but he thrived playing further up than the No. 6 role many expected him to operate.
This saw Jorginho come into the team and Rice play where Granit Xhaka vacated and captain Martin Odegaard operating as a right-sided central midfielder.
It looks like Arteta is targeting someone to come in and play as a deep-lying midfielder to dictate play. Basically a younger, more agile Jorginho.
Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino has been relentlessly linked in recent weeks and is reportedly available for £21m this summer.
Another name being linked with a move to the Emirates is Merino’s Spain team-mate Fabian Ruiz, currently at Paris Saint-Germain.
Both players shone for La Roja as they won Euro 2024, with the former making a big impact off the bench while Fabian starred next to Rodri in the starting XI.
Arsenal to sign two more players after Riccardo Calafiori
Either player would be a top addition for Arsenal and Merino and Fabian have been mentioned by transfer journalist Dean Jones, who has been discussing the Gunners’ transfer plans after finalising the signing of Calafiori.
Jones says he expects Arsenal to make at least two more signings before the summer transfer window closes.
“They can start to look forward to what they’re going to do next,” he said. “The midfield was always going to be in focus. We are now starting to hear more about interest they have.
“In the last 48 hours Fabian Ruiz has started to come through as a target for Arsenal, and Mikel Merino is still there as an Arsenal target.
“They will still be looking for an attacker as well. I do still expect that as well as Calafiori there will be two very decent players if not top quality players coming into Arsenal this summer.”
Arteta is eager to improve his squad after another second-place finish in the Premier League.
In order to close the gap on Manchester City – who Arsenal took to the final day of 2023/24 in the title race – the Gunners will continue to spend in the transfer window, starting with Calafiori.
