Mikel Arteta plans to gut his Premier League title-winning squad by allowing eight stars to leave this summer, while a stellar first transfer of the off-season has been agreed, and with talks reportedly ‘progressing’ over a ‘marquee’ second signing.
The Gunners have ended a 22-year wait to claim the crown as champions of England, their tally of 82 points leaving them four clear of Manchester City with only one game left to play. For Arteta, it ends a lengthy quest – and a few near misses – while for their fans, it sparked scenes of wild celebrations.
Their season could yet get even better for Arsenal if they can defeat reigning European champions PSG on Saturday week to win the Champions League final in what could go down in a history-defining season for the club.
However, like any good manager and any successful club, time does not stand still, and the wish to better what you have appears to be immediately underway.
To that end, a report on CBS Sports claims that the Gunners will allow eight members of their squad to depart this summer, with Ben White, Gabriel Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard among those who could depart.
The futures of Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard are also under review, given that both are entering the final two years of their contract, though surely in the case of Odegaard, Arteta would prefer to keep him.
It’s also reported that ‘Cristhian Mosquera is a target for Atletico Madrid, and having signed for just £13m (€15m, $17m) he is a player on whom Arsenal could make a tidy profit.’
However, one man who will make the move permanent and will become summer signing number one is loanee Piero Hincapie, as TEAMtalk exclusively first confirmed back in February.
READ MORE: Arsenal greenlight £45m deal to make Hincapie first summer signing with Arteta seriously impressed – Exclusive
Arsenal transfer for Hincapie agreed
The Gunners brought the Ecuador international in on last summer’s transfer deadline day when sporting director Andrea Berta persuaded Bayer Leverkusen to let him move to north London on a season’s loan deal worth €6m (£5.2m, $7m), but with a buy option fixed for €52m (£45m, $61m) at the season’s end.
A well-placed source, whose identity has been withheld on condition of anonymity, told TEAMtalk: “Piero has settled so well into the squad and the club as a whole. The staff are very happy with him, and he has just been getting better and better.”
Hincapie, who turned 24 earlier this year, took time to adjust following his summer loan move from Bayer Leverkusen, with a groin injury delaying his first start until October.
Since then, he has gone from strength to strength, racking up 19 starts in the Premier League and a further six in the Champions League, making his permanent move to Emirates Stadium a no-brainer for Arteta and Berta, who have been left seriously impressed, per our sources.
Sources also confirm that personal terms on a five-year deal through to 2031 has also been agreed.
In addition to Hincapie, The Guardian now claims Arsenal are advancing in talks to sign Eli Junior Kroupi from Bournemouth this summer.
They claim the teenage Frenchman is a ‘target’ for Arsenal, who are ‘well advanced with plans to strengthen the squad’ and have ‘the funds in place to make a marquee signing to rival the purchase of Declan Rice for a then-British record £105m in 2023’.
While Kroupi is unlikely to cost that much, competition from several big sides is likely to drive his price tag north of £60m and potentially as high as £80m.
TEAMtalk exclusively revealed back in February that interest from Arsenal, among others, would force Bournemouth to open new deal talks with the teenager, who has proved a brilliant addition to their ranks this season, scoring 13 goals in 34 games so far.
In addition to Kroupi, our transfer correspondent, Graeme Bailey, also revealed on Wednesday that the Gunners were preparing a crafty swap deal to beat PSG to the signing of Julian Alvarez, after Barcelona fell back in the race.
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