Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly eyeing three signings this summer to strengthen his midfield and defence ahead of next season.
Similarly to last year, the defence has been a problem for the Gunners so far in this campaign as they’ve conceded 34 goals in 25 Premier League games.
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That gives them the joint second worst defensive record of the top 10 sides in the standings, and so it’s an area in which they will surely look to try improve in.
As noted by BBC Sport, Arsenal did sign William Saliba last summer before sending him back to Saint-Etienne on a season-long loan deal, and so they will potentially welcome him back this summer.
Further, as per the Guardian, they also signed Pablo Mari last month on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season, and so it does appear as though they have taken steps to address the problem already.
However, according to the Daily Mail, they could target another central defender as well as two midfielders in the next transfer window and it’s suggested that they want to conclude their business quickly too.
A box-to-box midfielder and a creative star are said to be on their agenda, and so given the likes of Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi all offer that defensive protection in front of the backline, adding such options would surely lead to a more balanced midfield for Arsenal.
With that in mind, it seems as though Arteta and the Gunners have a sensible transfer plan in mind for the summer, but the biggest challenge will perhaps be to attract their top targets to north London.
As they continue to sit 10 points adrift of the Champions League qualification spots, that could complicate their pursuits of any preferred targets, while there is a concerning part of the Mail report above which casts doubt over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future at the Emirates amid touted interest from Barcelona.