Arsenal have plenty of time on their hands to bring in stars to strengthen their bid for the Premier League title, but may now face a battle to retain one of their key men, according to a report.
In what appears to have become a long-running saga, Arsenal are close to signing Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi after the Spain international was in London over the weekend to try and iron out the finer details of his move.
With Thomas Partey set to leave the Gunners on a free transfer amid interest from Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, there is definite scope for Mikel Arteta to reshape his engine room ahead of another campaign where his side are expected to lead the fight on all fronts.
Nevertheless, there is still no clear direction on whether Arsenal will sign Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres to lead the line as the financials involved between the club and either RB Leipzig or Sporting remain to be determined.
Of course, the Gunners have plenty of capital to play with in North London, but they need to factor in the best possible way to use it without being short-changed in their hunt for reinforcements.
Taking a measured approach to signings makes a degree of sense, though there is always a sense of impatience among supporters desperate to see new arrivals.
Jorrel Hato is another long-term Arsenal target. Still, there may need to be one or two departures to bankroll their summer spending spree.
Looking ahead to potential events that could occur, the Gunners now have a major decision on their hands involving one of their most important contributors.
According to TBR, Arsenal could struggle to retain Gabriel Martinelli after Bayern Munich made contact over a potential move for the Brazil international.
Lodging an enquiry, the Bundesliga champions have tempted the 24-year-old to think about his future, and he is said to be ‘exploring his options’ and hasn’t made a conclusive decision over whether to stay in North London or otherwise.
Labelled “brilliant” by teammate Gabriel Jesus, Saudi Pro League clubs have also expressed an interest in his services, though it feels unlikely that he would opt to leave Europe’s top-five leagues during a relatively early stage in his career.
Enjoying a productive time of things last term, £180,000 per week earner Martinelli registered ten goals and six assists in 51 appearances across all competitions and wouldn’t be easy to replace at the Emirates Stadium.
Intriguingly, Arsenal have looked at Chelsea’s Noni Madueke after missing out on Nico Williams to Barcelona, so there is a possibility that wingers will form a key part of their transfer strategy regardless of the outcome elsewhere.
