After signing Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal could be ready to spend a lot of money to continue their overhaul carried out in the summer.
The Gunners announced on Monday that the versatile Italian defender is their second signing of the transfer window, costing £38 million.
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His arrival means the north London giants have had to shell out £65 million after converting David Raya’s loan spell from Brentford into a permanent move for £27 million.
And that amount is expected to break the £100 million mark and, if Mikel Arteta has his way, could even exceed the £150 million mark.
The Pitch Prospect has learned that Arsenal are looking to boost their transfer fund as Emile Smith Rowe is set to join Fulham for £34 million.
Once the Hale End graduate’s departure is confirmed, Arsenal would step up their efforts to sign a left-wing central midfielder, with £25million Mikel Merino being considered as a replacement for Granit Xhaka – 12 months after his sale to Bayer Leverkusen.
This could see Declan Rice move from his box-to-box role to the No.6 position – a position in which he was the star at West Ham and continues to be used for the England national team.
And to round off another hectic summer at the Emirates, a striker could be the final reinforcement for the squad as Arsenal aim for their first Premier League title since 2004.
Italian media had suggested that Napoli striker Victor Osimhen was on the club’s radar to compete with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
However, The Pitch Prospect has learned that Chelsea are progressing in negotiations to sign the Nigerian star on an initial season-long loan, which could lead to Arsenal pursuing Viktor Gyokeres.
Here, The Pitch Prospect.com takes a look at how Arsenal could face Wolves on August 17 if they manage to sign their two top targets.
Spanish goalkeeper Raya will retain his place as the club’s No. 1 between the sticks after winning the Golden Glove award last season with 16 games without conceding a goal.
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Ben White will undoubtedly keep his place at right-back, having become one of the best full-backs in the top flight since moving from centre-back.
And Calafiori, who played as a centre-back for Bologna last season and for Italy at Euro 2024, could play on the other side of the defence.
However, this position is not unfamiliar to the 22-year-old, as he played as a left-back before joining Bologna in 2023.
His arrival means Jurrien Timber is likely to start as a substitute – a blow for the Dutchman, who only made three appearances last season due to a cruciate ligament injury.
Arteta would then partner William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence; the duo are widely regarded as one of the best centre-back duos in Europe.
And Rice could then be used as the only defensive midfielder ahead of Thomas Partey, who continues to be linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.
Although he played the number 8 role in his first year at Arsenal, a potential signing of Merino from Real Sociedad would likely see the 28-year-old play in that position instead.
The former Newcastle player, who was part of the Spanish team that won the 2024 European Championship alongside Raya, could support Arsenal’s attack on the left, as line-breaking passes are a big part of his game.
Since he has a similar playing style to Xhaka, this would especially help left winger Gabriel Martinelli, who has struggled without the Swiss international.
Captain Martin Ödegaard would complete the midfield; the Norwegian is considered one of the best playmakers in Europe.
Bukayo Saka, although he has not yet played in pre-season, will almost certainly start on the right wing and will try to surpass his 34 goal involvements from last season.
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Martinelli, on the other hand, could be preferred over Leandro Trossard after his performance in the pre-season win against Manchester United.
And with Osimhen apparently out of the question for Arsenal, they could try to sign centre-forward Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon.
The Swedish striker, who joined the Portuguese team from Coventry last summer, contributed 43 goals and 15 assists in all competitions and led his team to the league title.
Arsenal scouts watched him in action last season and are keeping an eye on him this pre-season for a possible move.
However, it remains to be seen whether they will activate his £86 million release clause or whether they can negotiate the transfer fee down.
If he ends up at Arsenal, he will likely start ahead of Havertz and Jesus and lead the attacking line under Arteta.
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