Arsenal fans have been treated to some exciting transfer news as we approach the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Plenty of supporters will be upset at how the last few weeks have turned out, as Mikel Arteta watches the Premier League title slip through his fingers.
Nevertheless, this is a very young Arsenal side who are still learning how to handle themselves in a title race, and by the sounds of it, Edu has significant plans to take the Gunners up a level next season.
What’s the story?
Well – according to Alex Crook of talkSPORT – Arsenal are “going to go big” in the transfer market this summer, with a potential record signing on the horizon in Declan Rice.
The journalist said: “His (Rice) preferred destination – as I understand it – has always been Arsenal. The vibes we’re getting are that they are going to go big this summer, not just for Rice, but also for Moises Caicedo. I think it’s going to be really interesting.”
Those in the boardroom at the Emirates Stadium are even willing to spend around £200m on both the West Ham No.41 and the Brighton No.25 – according to The Times.
These moves are expected to be part-funded by the sales of Rob Holding, Granit Xhaka, Folarin Balogun and Emile Smith Rowe according to the same story.
Arsenal must be ruthless
Some Arsenal fans may look at a few of those aforementioned names and question why they’re up for sale, such as Smith Rowe and Balogun.
However, if Arteta is going to push Arsenal to the level of Manchester City, he needs to be ruthless and cash in on those who aren’t playing a key role while their stock is high.
That is exactly what Pep Guardiola has done with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Ferran Torres, Leroy Sane and Nicolas Otamendi over the years.
The Spaniard also famously offloaded Joe Hart immediately after arriving at the Etihad Stadium, which was the definition of ruthlessness.
Jürgen Klopp represents a good example of a manager being too loyal to his players, with Liverpool slipping away from being title challengers as the likes of Jordan Henderson and James Milner continue to be used regularly.
It will be tough to see the likes of Smith Rowe depart for some Arsenal fans, but at this level, some difficult decisions need to be made with romance put aside.
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