Mikel Arteta hints at further Arsenal signings after £200m transfer spree: ‘We’ll be alert’
ikel Arteta insists that Arsenal will remain “alert” to further potential transfer business this summer.
The Gunners have made a statement start to the current window, smashing their club record with the blockbuster £105million signing of England midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham.
Arsenal have also signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea and Dutch defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax, taking their summer transfer spend already to beyond the £200m mark.
But things aren’t expected to stop there, with Arteta believed to want to further bolster his squad in order to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title once again next term and also compete on their first return to the Champions League since the 2016/17 season.
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However, further outgoings are also expected, with Arsenal having already bid farewell to the likes of Granit Xhaka as interest continues to build in other players such as Folarin Balogun and Thomas Partey. Others such as Nicolas Pepe and Cedric Soares appear to surplus to requirements at the Emirates Stadium, meanwhile.
Arsenal have now arrived in the United States, where they are continuing pre-season training ahead of a tour that kicks off against a Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star XI coached by Wayne Rooney in Washington DC on Wednesday night, followed by further high-profile friendlies against Manchester United and Barcelona.
Quizzed on if there would be further signings at Arsenal in the weeks ahead or if attentions had now switched purely to exits, Arteta told Sky Sports: “Let’s see. There’s a lot of time still in the market and a lot of expectations in some of our players as well.
“We’ll have to see and how things develop in the next couple of weeks. We’ll be alert. There’s still time to do things and there’s still time for exits obviously. I’m sure things will move.”
Arteta declared himself delighted that proactive Arsenal, led by sporting director Edu, were able to move so quickly to land their top summer targets to give them as much time as possible to settle into their new surroundings ahead of the start of the new top-flight season on August 12.
Havertz made his debut for the club in their 1-1 friendly draw with Nurnberg in Germany last week, while Rice and Timber will do likewise in the US after all three players were signed in time to make the trip across the Atlantic.
In pictures: Declan Rice joins Arsenal
“Very pleased, as you can imagine,” Arteta said. “We signed the players that we wanted, we signed them early and they seem to have started to adapt to the team really fast.
“We have some time now to prepare and for them as well to gain the best chance to express themselves in the right way. To do that obviously they need to experience a few days, how it looks at Arsenal.”
On Rice as a potential “transformative” arrival for Arsenal, the manager added: “Every signing that we’ve made brings very special things to the team. Declan very much knows the league and has done tremendously well both for West Ham and the England national team.
“He’s going to bring a lot of leadership, a lot of experience in the league, very specifically in the position with the qualities that he has. We are delighted to have him.
“You all know his leadership, his personality, and the experience he already has at 24. He’s already close with some of the boys, he knew a few of the boys from the England camp as well. He seems very happy.”
