Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta ‘loves’ Barcelona forward Ferran Torres, while the Gunners are ‘interested’ in Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon, according to reports.
The Gunners could not lift their first major trophy since the FA Cup in 2020 this season with Arteta failing to deliver on the club’s targets.
Arsenal will be runners-up for the third consecutive season once they play their final Premier League match of the season at the weekend.
Arteta’s side struggled to get near Liverpool in the second half of the campaign with Arne Slot’s side coasting to the title at the end of April.
Arsenal did have an impressive season in the Champions League with the Gunners beating Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals before being knocked out in the semi-finals by Paris Saint-Germain.
Arteta’s targets next season will be to deliver trophies, preferably the Premier League or Champions League, after years of strong investment from the Arsenal board.
READ: Arteta suspended for final day but trails seven managers for cards
New sporting director already has a number of targets in mind with a deal for Real Socieded midfielder Martin Zubimendi reportedly tied up.
Viktor Gyokeres is also quite far down the line, if the latest reports are to be believed, with Arsenal bidding for the Sporting CP striker.
And now two more players are on the Gunners’ radar ahead of the summer, as they look to improve their attack further after suffering a number of damaging injuries to key players across the front line.
Arteta used to coach Barcelona forward Torres during his time as assistant manager at Manchester City and the Arsenal boss is interested in bringing him to the Emirates Stadium.
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TBR Football journalist Graeme Bailey said: “Firstly with Ferran Torres’ situation — Mikel Arteta loves Torres from his time at City and he knows how City highly rated him. Arteta knows what Torres could bring to Arsenal but he’s not the only manager who likes him.”
“Villa like Torres and so does Unai Emery.”
Bailey adds: “But my information is that Torres still has no intention of leaving Barcelona. Hansi Flick has used him quite a bit this season but even when he hasn’t been playing in the past, he didn’t want to leave Barcelona.”
“Now he’s 25-years-old, he’s still getting in the Spain team and he’s played over 25 La Liga games this season, half from the bench, half starting.”
“Villa do like him — there’s no denying that. So if he was on the market a handful of Premier League clubs want him but from my information that he has no intention of leaving Barcelona.”
And The i Paper have claimed that Arsenal are ‘interested’ in Newcastle winger Gordon too with the England international ‘perhaps the one [crown jewels] that it makes most sense to trade if a suitable offer is tabled’.
The report adds that Arsenal and Chelsea – who are also a fan of the Magpies star – have been told by the Geordies that they will have to pay £80m if they want to land him this summer.