Arsenal’s hopes of reaching a first Champions League semi-final since 2009 were ended by Bayern Munich, who are looking to strengthen Mikel Arteta’s squad with a striker and winger in the summer.
Back-to-back defeats to Aston Villa and Bayern have left Arsenal with little hope of winning the title this season, while Manchester City are mired in the Premier League title race with six games remaining after Arteta’s side finished runners-up last year. Dilemma. There have been signs of progress since spending more than £200m on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurriën Timber last summer, but the boss Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE) recognize that Mikel Arteta’s side need significant reinforcement to help them take the next step.
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak is understood to be one of the top targets. He is worth around £100m and was heavily scouted by Arsenal before moving to St James’ Park in August 2022 for an initial fee of £63m. Arsenal have also been heavily linked with Isaac’s Swedish team-mate Victor Guikres, who joined from Coventry last year and has scored 36 goals for Sporting CP this season and has an £86m buyout clause. . Juventus and Serbia forward Dusan Vlahovic could be another option, but Arsenal’s interest in Brentford’s Ivan Toni is believed to have cooled.
Crystal Palace’s Michael Ollis signed a new four-year contract in August after rejecting Chelsea, giving Arsenal the ball despite making just nine Premier League starts this season due to injury Detectives were impressed and he is believed to be a potential target. The France U-21 striker’s contract includes a release clause that comes into effect this summer and is understood to be worth around £65m. He is also heavily tracked by the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United.
Arsenal must be careful not to breach the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules, but non-executive director Josh Kroenke is expected to provide the club’s sporting director Edu with a similar budget to last year. KSE reported that the company’s value increased by £2.3 billion on the previous year due to the success of its teams across multiple sports, including the Denver Nuggets, which won their first NBA championship last year.
Arsenal aim to rally around Arteta’s side after a difficult week. Captain Martin Odegaard said his players were frustrated after their 1-0 defeat to Bayern in the second leg and must use that disappointment as motivation against Wolves on Saturday.
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“It takes a little time to start over, but I think the things you fight for in this league are enough motivation for all of us,” Odegaard said. “So we have to stick together, stand up and keep working hard. We can still do something very special. I think that’s enough.
