Arsenal prioritise Arteta renewal amid £250m spend and summer transfer strategy
Club targets Morgan Rogers, Eli Junior Kroupi and Julian Alvarez while preparing to offload senior squad members to fund a lucrative new deal for Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal are prioritising the renewal of manager Mikel Arteta’s contract following their first Premier League title win in 22 years, with initial talks expected to resume after his holiday. According to BBC Sport, the process has seen positive progress, with the club viewing a new agreement as a matter of timing rather than uncertainty. The proposed deal is likely to be a minimum of three years and would significantly increase Arteta’s wages, potentially making him the highest-paid manager in England and surpassing the minimum £20m annual deal previously held by Pep Guardiola.
Despite the euphoria of the domestic title, the club remains mindful of the volatile nature of football management, citing Liverpool’s recent sacking of Arne Slot as a cautionary tale. Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke has stated that keeping Arteta is an utmost priority, acknowledging that the club must commit significant funds to retain the manager whose influence has grown substantially since leading the team to success. Arteta’s current deal expires at the end of next season, with earnings of £10m per season plus a £5m bonus for Champions League qualification.
To balance finances following a £250m spend on new players last season and lucrative bonuses paid to the squad, Arsenal are preparing to sell several players. The club is open to offers for forwards Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli, as well as midfielder Christian Norgaard and defender Ben White. Jakub Kiwior has already been sold to Porto for £14.7m, and the future of academy graduate Ethan Nwaneri is also under review, with the club considering a homegrown sale to generate pure profit on the balance sheet.
In the transfer market, Arsenal are targeting Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez to strengthen the squad. Rogers and Kroupi are each valued at in excess of £80m, while Alvarez is valued at more than £120m, though Barcelona has expressed serious interest in the Argentine attacker. The club has also moved for Leicester’s 16-year-old forward Jeremy Monga, who is viewed as a leading young prospect in English football.
Beyond the forward line, Arsenal are considering contract extensions for right-back Jurrien Timber and midfielder Declan Rice, with talks for Timber heading towards a conclusion. The club has also discussed the merits of a move for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who is expected to leave following his club’s relegation to the Championship. However, the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly in central midfield may alter the club’s approach to that position, complicating the financial planning required to execute Arteta’s summer blueprint.
