Arsenal will be looking to sign a wide forward as well as a striker in the summer transfer window.
There have been links with the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres, Nico Williams and Rodrygo so far, with the first of two summer transfer windows open for six days now.
The transfer window has been split into two this summer because of the Club World Cup, with FIFA allowing teams to strengthen their squad before the tournament begins on Saturday, June 14. The first window closes on June 10, with it due to reopen again on June 16.
New Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta will have a busy summer ahead of him as manager Mikel Arteta looks for a deeper squad to challenge for the Premier League title once more.
Arsenal have finished as runners-up in the Premier League in each of the last three seasons, behind Manchester City twice and Liverpool this season.
The Gunners were hit hard by injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus in the second half of the season, with Mikel Merino regularly utilised as a makeshift striker.
Arsenal are in talks with RB Leipzig over a £92.5million deal for Sesko, with reports even suggesting that the German side had asked Slovenia not to play him in their friendlies this week in case it affected a transfer deal with the Gunners.
If Sesko is the chosen striker, the next question will be who joins as the wide forward. While Rodrygo and Nico Williams have been linked, there may be another name the Gunners should move for.
Arsenal tried to sign Raphinha in 2022 when the Brazilian was playing for Leeds United, but their offer was turned down and he eventually ended up signing for Barcelona.
The 28-year-old has scored 34 goals and laid on 25 assists in 57 games for the Catalan giants this season – averaging better than a goal involvement every game.
Not only that, but when it comes to big chances created in Europe’s top five leagues, he trails only Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, his Barca teammate Lamine Yamal and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. Raphinha created 26 big chances this season and with nine assists from those big chances, could even have had more goal involvements to his name!
Speaking after receiving a big offer to move to Saudi Arabia last summer, Raphinha said: “I was thinking that I had a lot to offer here in Europe, I still had a lot to offer this club, and I still had a great opportunity to continue representing the national team. This is what made me close my ears a little to money, and open my mind more to my dreams.”
