Arsenal have already spent around £200million this summer, but if they are able to get some players off of their books, another significant arrival could be on the way.
The Gunners have interest in Ajax’s £40million-rated midfielder, Mohammed Kudus, though their current priority is to reduce the size of Mikel Arteta’s squad before making additional signings.
Kudus has been linked to Arsenal in the past but the latest link comes from the Daily Mail.
He fits the bill for an Arsenal signing. Young (22), versatile and depsite his age has significant experience. That experience comes from over 60 games with Ajax, including Champions League fixtures and 24 caps for his country, Ghana.
In preparation for the upcoming season, the Gunners have already significantly strengthened their squad with the arrivals of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber. But some areas still look light. Is there enough cover in Granit Xhaka’s old role, and does Bukayo Saka have an adequate backup? Well Kudus could help with both of those given he has played throughout midfield and even as a forward for Ajax.
Arsenal’s sporting director, Edu, will now shift his focus towards player departures, with names like Kieran Tierney, Cedric Soares, Nicolas Pepe, Albert Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, and Rob Holding attracting interest from potential buyers.
Pepe and Lokonga may be especially important to move on, given they play in the positions Kudus would. Both players have been left out of Arsenal’s tour of the US, indicating they could well be on their way.
Things could be set to get moving for Lokonga, with The Sun reporting earlier this week that Burnley are prepping an offer and they would like to sign him permanently. Burnley boss Vincent Kompany knows the player well having managed him at Anderlecht.
Interest in Pepe is less obvious, with some loose links to Saudi Arabia, Arsenal may expect to receive little to no transfer fee for the player, with the focus simply to remove him from the wage bill.