The summer transfer window is officially open and Arsenal are already looking to conduct business ahead of the new season, with Andrea Berta targeting a major striker acquisition.
Martin Zubimendi is set to be confirmed as Arsenal’s first signing of the Berta era, with the Spaniard undergoing his medical ahead of a £51 million switch from Real Sociedad.
Attention will then turn to bolstering Mikel Arteta’s forward line, as the Gunners eye both a striker and a dynamic new winger.
While numerous wide men are being linked with a move to the Emirates, Arsenal appear to have narrowed their striker shortlist down to Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.
Arsenal trying to keep Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko deals quiet
Arsenal don’t want to pay Sesko’s £67 million release clause this summer, but are instead eager to negotiate a more favourable payment structure with RB Leipzig.
The Slovenian is admired by Arteta, although some reports have suggested that Berta favours making more of a win-now signing up front.
Gyokeres could be available for as little as £55 million, although the Sporting man is expected to demand a more excessive signing-on fee and heftier agent fees than Sesko.
Arsenal will need to negotiate these terms with the Swede’s camp, and as a result, the Gunners are trying to keep both potential deals for their two striker targets under wraps, to help them in their negotiations.
Speaking on Sky Sports, journalist Kaveh Solhekol revealed this approach from Berta.
“I think they will get their wish [signing a striker],” he said.
“But, I think we just need to relax. Let’s not get carried away. The transfer window only opened today. As far as I can tell, Arsenal don’t have a game coming up soon. They won’t have a competitive game until the Premier League season starts in 2 months’ time.
“So there’s still a lot of time to go and the transfer window is open for another 90 days. They will sign a striker. They’re being very clever because they don’t want people like you, me and Mark to be reporting about the fact that they’ve got a number one target.
“They want people to still be guessing, and clubs who are trying to sell strikers to not be quite sure of what Arsenal want to do. They want selling clubs to think that Arsenal have got lots of options because it will suit them when it comes to doing a deal.
“Having said that, we know who their main targets are. Viktor Gyokeres at Sporting, Benjamin Sesko at Leipzig. They will definitely sign a striker, and we just need to calm down, wait and trust Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta.”
Arsenal should aim to get striker signing done before end of first transfer window
Unlike any other summer previously, this transfer window is split into two separate windows, with the first closing on Tuesday, June 10th.
This is to ensure teams participating in the Club World Cup formulate their squads for the competition before the tournament kicks off.
The second window opens on June 16th, and Arsenal should look to have a deal for a striker all but wrapped up before the second window commences.
The Gunners travel to Asia in mid-July, with their first pre-season tour clash against AC Milan on July 23rd in Singapore.
Arsenal will want to have the bulk of their squad in place in time for these friendlies, while they’ll also want to ensure deals are done as early as possible, so that prospective new signings can enjoy a holiday without having to worry about their futures.
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