Emirates Stadium boss targets four high-profile additions this summer.
Arsenal bass Arsene Wenger is set to give the green light on a quadruple swoop this summer to address the problem areas that the side has in goal, midfield, and attack by bringing in Luis Suarez, Bernard, Julio Cesar and Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini.
Wenger has been given a substantial war chest this summer that he intends to utilise fully, beginning with Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.
CaughtOffside understands that the Gunners have finally been given permission to talk to the Uruguayan international and Wenger will seek to sit down with the player’s representatives when Liverpool return from their pre season tour of Australia and south east Asia.
Suarez had been publicly flirting with Real Madrid until he learned of Arsenal’s interest and the Spanish side’s pursuit of Spurs winger Gareth Bale has meant that a move for Suarez has had to take a backseat for the time being.
Wenger sees Suarez as the ideal man to replace Robin Van Persie, who left for Manchester United last summer. So far Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud have failed to live up to the expectations placed on them and Wenger still needs a star name up front if he is to hope to challenge the sides at the top of the tree next term.
Furthermore, Wenger hopes to wrap up a deal for Atletico Mineiro midfielder Bernard, who has also been attracting interest from rivals Tottenham as well as Portuguese giants Porto. The 63-year-old is hoping to add some more weight to his attacking midfield areas and sees the 20-year-old slotting in effortlessly to the way the side plays, combining with Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain alongside him.
The manager is also eager to solve his problems between the sticks too, after Wojciech Szczesny proved that he is not yet capable of holding down the number one spot on a regular basis. Wenger will now look to push through a move for QPR’s Brazilian international Julio Cesar after a move to Roma fell though when they wrapped up the signing of Napoli stopper Morgan De Sanctis last week.
The 33-year-old stopper has perviously said that he hopes to still be able to offer something to a top club and has made Arsenal his first choice destination because of their involvement in the Champions League.
Keen to signal the club’s intent at challenging for honours this year, Wenger will also look to steal the signature of Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini from under the noses of Manchester United. Wenger knows that the side are in desperate need to a solid box-to-box midfielder who can also operate in a more defensive role too.
The club were tentatively linked with a move for the Belgian international earlier in the year, but he is now hoping to take advantage of the uncertainty that currently surrounds the 25-year-old by convincing him that his approach will garner more success than that of counterpart David Moyes.
Fellaini had reportedly come close to joining Chelsea in January, but the move failed to materialise and other targets, couple with managerial changes, have caused previously interested clubs to change track that he seen the midfielder stay at Everton.