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Arsenal’s £17m transfer dilemma that Mikel Arteta desperately needs to solve

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Arsenal’s £17m transfer dilemma that Mikel Arteta desperately needs to solve

Arsenal are yet to announce any new signings in what has been a slow start to the summer transfer window. The Gunners went close to winning the Premier League title last campaign but ultimately lost out to a better Manchester City side.

Just two points separated the two clubs in the league and Mikel Arteta will be keen to bridge that gap between now and August 17, when the Gunners face Wolves on the opening weekend. football.london understands Edu and Arteta are intent on improving the squad between now and August 30, with signing a central midfielder the priority.




Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard will be guaranteed starters in the Arsenal line-up next season, you would think, but the third spot is open for someone to grasp with both hands. Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Kai Havertz impressed in periods last term, while Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe were also handed opportunities.

Bruno Guimaraes, Amadou Onana, Martin Zubimendi and Youssouf Fofana are just some of the midfielders tipped to make the move to Emirates Stadium. Arteta does have one option a little more closer to home, however, should he wish to explore it.

Albert Sambi Lokonga spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Luton Town and, in the main, impressed with his performances. While he missed a large chunk of the campaign due to a hamstring injury, the Belgian did feature 17 times in the league, scoring once and assisting his teammates three times.

The 24-year-old joined the Gunners in the summer of 2021 for a fee in the region of £17million and, in truth, has had a frustrating time in north London. The former Anderlecht man featured 24 times for the Gunners in his debut season, while he made the same number of appearances in the 2022/23 season. Lokonga failed to fully convince Arteta, though, which led to his loan move to Luton last season.

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