Arsenal are Premier League champions and Mikel Arteta will soon have his sights set on an exciting summer transfer window
A collective sigh of relief was let out across north London when the final whistle blew at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday night, immediately followed by jubilant celebrations in N5 and beyond. Arsenal are the deserved Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years.
Critics will highlight corner tactics and VAR decisions, but this triumph has been a long time in the making for a side that had agonisingly fallen short for three consecutive campaigns. The credit must go to the players for their total commitment, the supporters for their belief and, above all, Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal were in such turmoil when the Spaniard assumed the head coach role six-and-a-half years ago that few could have envisaged such a day where they would end their Premier League drought while still having a Champions League final on the horizon.
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Yet, the same philosophy that enabled Arteta to reach this point will not allow him to rest on his laurels once matters are concluded in Budapest later this month. He will almost immediately start planning and strategising for the summer and next season, if he hasn’t begun already.
Now, football.london imagines how the Gunners boss will capitalise on this triumph and ensure his side dominates the Premier League for years to come.
Record fee for Kroupi
It makes perfect sense to sign the player who handed Arsenal the title. Beyond the emotional appeal, the 19-year-old Frenchman’s strike for Bournemouth against Manchester City illustrated precisely why numerous clubs are queuing up for his services, finding space intelligently before showing remarkable composure and technique with his finish.
Bournemouth have recently made it clear they won’t consider bids of £85million for their star man, who has netted 13 goals in his debut English campaign. However, even a fee approaching £90m for Kroupi – which would represent Arsenal’s record outlay on an attacker – would prove excellent value if the north Londoners can reach an agreement with the Cherries.
He would bring flexibility across the forward line, equally comfortable operating as an inside forward from the left like Leandro Trossard or leading the line as a central striker, while also providing a desperately needed goal threat. Kroupi has the added bonus of already being beloved in north London before even wearing an Arsenal jersey.
Splurge on Barcola
Quality over quantity should be the primary focus for Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta. Last summer, the Gunners invested a club-record sum exceeding £250m on eight signings.
Their needs have changed now to requiring more elite players rather than raising the floor of the entire squad. One such player that happens to be available on the market is Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.
At just 23 years old, the Frenchman excels in counter-attacking moments and has a more varied skill set than Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli. Barcola has become disgruntled with his limited starting opportunities under Luis Enrique this season, given the Spaniard’s preference for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue.
Yet, he is needed at Arsenal, as seen by his heroics during last year’s treble-winning season, where he racked up a whopping 44 goal contributions in 64 appearances. Barcola is expected to cost a similar amount to Kroupi of just over £85m.
Sell deadwood
Arsenal are understood to need player sales before they can invest heavily again this summer. Both Berta and his predecessor Edu Gaspar have disappointed in previous transfer windows when it comes to generating respectable fees from departures.
It remains an area where the north London club lag behind their rivals and represents an underappreciated part of transfer planning. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of candidates for the exit door this summer.
Gabriel Jesus, Christian Norgaard, Fabio Vieira, Ethan Nwaneri, Martinelli and Trossard could all be moved on to facilitate new arrivals. It falls to Berta to find buyers and negotiate deals that will help balance the books.
Shock Tonali move
If, after signing Kroupi and Barcola, Arsenal still have money left in the account, Sandro Tonali of Newcastle would represent an exceptional piece of business. So far, Arteta has benefited from Declan Rice’s remarkable availability, though no player remains immune to injury indefinitely.
When that moment arrives, Arsenal must be ready. Tonali’s relentless work rate and aggressiveness in duels would see him slot in effortlessly as Rice’s deputy or potentially form a formidable midfield pairing alongside him.
The 26-year-old Italian was strongly linked with a late move to Arsenal in January. His agent also seems eager to engineer a departure, particularly with Newcastle poised to miss out on European football.
Tonali is expected to cost upwards of £80m. Pulling off this signing, and the other two, will certainly not be easy. But such ambition is what separates title-winning teams from Premier League dynasties.
