BBC pundit claims potential double deal could fire Arsenal into Champions League

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There’s quite a bit of pressure mounting on Arsenal to finish in the top four next season.

The Gunners have just beaten Liverpool on penalties to win the Community Shield at Wembley, three weeks after lifting the FA Cup at the same stadium.

Impressively, Arsenal beat Manchester City and Chelsea en route to the trophy – and also edged out Jurgen Klopp’s side in the Premier League last month.

This is a team that’s really going places under Mikel Arteta – who’s only been in the job since December – and you’d like to believe that the Spaniard has a genuine shot at leading his troops back into the top four.

Arteta definitely needs reinforcements and has already signed Willian – and reportedly Gabriel Magalhaes, albeit without official confirmation.

And Danny Murphy has claimed that a double deal for Dani Ceballos and Thomas Partey could just be enough to see Arsenal re-take their place among Europe’s elite come May.

Ceballos dazzled during a season-long loan from Real Madrid last term, playing a starring role in the FA Cup final win over Chelsea, while Atletico Madrid powerhouse Partey has been linked fairly regularly since way back in March.

He wrote in The Daily Mail: “If they can get Dani Ceballos back on loan — their best player at the end of last season — and sign Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid, who would give them crucial tenacity and physicality in midfield, I think they have a squad to challenge Chelsea and Manchester United for the Champions League places.”

Is Murphy right? Probably. Even without Ceballos and Partey, you’d back Arsenal to have a good season, but with them, it could be even better and maybe a Champions League qualification bid is a legitimate expectation.

Edu is the man calling the shots in North London with regards to transfers these days [The Telegraph], following Raul Sanllehi’s shock departure, and the club’s former midfielder could really transform his reputation among the fans with this sort of double swoop.