Mikel Arteta wants to start a summer plan to build on this season’s success – and has got Morgan Rogers firmly in his sights. Gunners boss Arteta sent a clear message to the Arsenal hierarchy after the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Arteta said the club needed to make ‘important decisions’ to show ‘ambition’ to take the club to ‘another level’ after winning their first Premier League title in 22 years. It was very pointed as Arteta wants major reinforcements, with Aston Villa‘s England star Rogers firmly on Arsenal’s list of potential targets.
Rogers is also attracting interest from the likes of PSG after another impressive season for Unai Emery‘s men amid a belief that Villa might sell to help balance the books. It remains to be seen whether Villa will sell, but Rogers is getting admiring glances from Arsenal because he can play as a No.10 and also wide left which is a key area that Arteta wants to strengthen.
Arteta likes players who can play multiple positions and wants more attacking threat and quality with a possible shake-up this summer. The difference this time is that Arsenal spent £250million last summer in a huge spree which included Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke and Christian Norgaard, and they will complete a permanent deal for Piero Hincapie.
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This summer they want to add quality, but they also need to trim the squad to make way for new faces with Gabriel Martinelli a possible departure. There is also interest in Gabriel Jesus, even though the Brazil star is in no rush to leave with one year left on his deal.
Arsenal will look to buy this summer and attack will be the focus again but it would take a departure to allow them to bring in another No9. Arteta clearly believes deals are there to be done and his messaging straight after the final was telling because he wants to add quality.
That may suggest also that, having delivered the title and got over the line, he is also looking towards a change in style as they look to win more trophies. It is now FIVE defeats in a row in European finals dating back to 1995 and also including the 2006 Champions League final, the 2019 Europa League final and now the defeat in Budapest against PSG.
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View 2 ImagesMikel Arteta wants the Arsenal board to back him(Image: Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Arsenal have a huge standing in European football but they have a poor record – just two trophies with the 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup and 1970 Fairs Cup – compared to their domestic record. That is something that Arteta is keen to address and wants to kick on from a season which will still go down as one of the best in the club’s history and certainly the best of his reign so far.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s England contingent – Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eze and Madueke – will be given an extra week before having to join up with England for their training base in Miami ahead of the World Cup. The majority of the squad fly in on Monday.
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