West Ham United FC v Arsenal FC - Premier League
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal face a crucial summer transfer window (Picture: Getty)
Mikel Arteta has been warned Arsenal have already made their first transfer mistake of the summer.
The summer transfer window officially opened on June 1 to allow clubs competing in the upcoming Club World Cup to sign players before the tournament begins.
It will shut again on June 10 before reopening on June 16 through to September 1 for Premier League clubs.
Arteta and Arsenal face a crucial transfer window after going a fifth successive season without a trophy.
The Gunners were unable to keep pace with Premier League champions Liverpool, finishing second for the third season in a row, while they were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals by eventual winners PSG.
Get personalised updates on Arsenal everyday
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
Arteta wants to sign several players this summer to take his team to the next level, starting with a new striker and central midfielder.
Martin Zubimendi looks set to arrive at the Emirates Stadium in a £51m deal from Real Sociedad but Arsenal’s striker search is still ongoing.
Ipswich Town FC v West Ham United FC - Premier League
Chelsea are set to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town (Picture: Getty)
Talks have been held over deals for Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko, while Arsenal were linked with Liam Delap before the Ipswich Town forward agreed to join Chelsea.
Due to a reasonable release clause, Chelsea will pay just £30m to welcome Delap to Stamford Bridge and Arsenal have been told they made a major mistake not beating their London rivals to a deal.
‘I don’t understand how Arsenal didn’t snap him up,’ ex-EFL striker Adebayo Akinfenwa told talkSPORT.
‘I don’t understand how, when you need a striker and you’re looking at the transfer market, £30m is chump change in today’s market.
RB Leipzig v VfB Stuttgart - Bundesliga
Arsenal are in talks with RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko (Picture: Getty)
‘So when you’ve got somebody who, you’re talking about potential, they’re talking about being a Harry Kane replacement for England, about a proper No.9, I don’t understand how Arsenal didn’t buy.
‘As soon as Ipswich got relegated, they should have been in there. I think it’s a no-brainer.
‘I think he’s going to do well. I really do. I remember speaking to him when he was on loan at Stoke from Man City, and even back then, his whole demeanour, his aura, he was self-assured, confident, good stature.
‘He’s got that old-school element where you know you’re in for a game when you’re up against Delap. So I think he’s going to do well.
Real Betis Balompie v Chelsea FC - UEFA Conference League Final 2025
Enzo Maresca won the race to sign Liam Delap (Picture: Getty)
‘I think he’s got that Diego Costa sort of vibe about him, in regards to you’re going to know he’s there. So I think it’s very, very good business. I think £30m for Delap is very good business.’
Liam Delap, the son of former Stoke City defender Rory, scored 12 goals in the Premier League last season for an Ipswich side that won just four games.
The 22-year-old, who was sold by Manchester City last summer, will compete with current Chelsea first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson.
‘People talk about him being signed to be part of the squad, but I think he’s bigger than that,’ Akinfenwa added.
‘I think he’ll be thinking in his head, “I’m going to be the guy, I’m going to go and play”. He’s going to be the main man.
‘When you look at it with how many games Chelsea are going to play, he knows he’s going to get a lot of game time and it is for him to take his opportunity.
‘And then when you’ve got the calibre of players Chelsea have, he scored goals at Ipswich but how many more goals is he going to score when he’s playing with the likes of Cole Palmer and Reece James is putting balls into the box? He and Palmer played together in the youth team at City as well.
‘I think it’s a good signing. I just don’t understand how, and I’ll say Arsenal because they’re the ones who are front runners for a striker, I don’t understand how they weren’t pushing for him.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Antonio Conte tells Napoli to sign £58m Man Utd and Arsenal transfer target
MORE: Manchester United respond to Barcelona transfer plan for Marcus Rashford
MORE: Alejandro Garnacho sends transfer message to Chelsea as Manchester United set asking price