The Gunners have been big spenders this summer – but Mikel Arteta still wants more firepower
There is now less than a week left of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal have been busy so far, with Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Viera, Marquinhos and Matt Turner all being brought in since the end of last season.
But will the Gunners be doing any more business before Thursday night's 11pm transfer deadline?
Below, GOAL takes a look at what could still happen in north London during the closing days of the window.
GettyIncomings – Pedro Neto
Arsenal are interested in Pedro Neto, but as of yet they have not made an official offer to Wolves.
The discussions that have been going on behind the scenes have been taking place with Jorge Mendes, Neto’s agent.
Arsenal technical director Edu has a good relationship with Mendes and has already worked closely with him this summer as part of the deal that brought Fabio Vieira to the club from Porto.
Wolves do not want to sell Neto, but with Mendes having a huge influence at the Midlands club, he could yet have a major say on what happens with the winger during the final days of the transfer window.
If Wolves stand firm, however, and demand a fee in excess of £50 million for the 22-year-old, Arsenal fear they could be priced out of a move, given their hefty outlay on transfers over the past two summers.
While club sources insist they currently have no issues surrounding Financial Fair Play rules and that things are being run in line with Premier League and UEFA regulations, there is an acceptance that a deal for Neto could prove to be too expensive to pursue this summer.
Arsenal have only brought in around £20 million from sales this summer and the prospect of bringing in any substantial funds during the closing days of the window appears slim.
AdvertisementGettyYouri Tielemans
Tielemans’ story has been an interesting one this summer.
Arsenal hold a long-term interest in the Leicester City midfielder and were expected to bid for him following talks with his representatives last season.
But they have yet to submit an offer, leaving Tielemans – who has just one year left on his deal with the Foxes – somewhat in limbo.
He expected to move this summer, with Leicester open to sanctioning his exit to bring in some funds.
But Arsenal focused their attention elsewhere as they prioritised other signings and they have yet to rekindle their interest in the Belgium international.
There is still a chance Tielemans will move before the deadline and while it’s unlikely it will be to Arsenal, the possibility can’t be entirely ruled out, given how long the midfielder has been on the radar at the Emirates and the work that has already been done behind the scenes with his agent.
GettyA wildcard?
If Neto proves to be too expensive and Arsenal continue to overlook Tielemans, could there be a surprise arrival over the final week of the window?
Mikel Arteta has publicly stated his desire to do some more business, with the Gunners boss admitting after the win at Bournemouth last weekend that he wanted more ‘firepower’.
One player who is believed to be of interest is Yeremy Pino at Villarreal, with sources in Spain confirming to GOAL that the 19-year-old is admired by the North London club.
But just like Neto, Pino would not come cheap, and no offer has been made at this stage.
Wilfried Zaha is another name that is being touted around, but prizing him away from Crystal Palace this late in the window would be extremely difficult.
“We want to only bring top quality through that door,” Arteta said last week. “Otherwise it’s not worth it.”
Arsenal showed in January that they won’t push the panic button and bring a player in just for the sake of it if they can’t get their main targets.
So the prospect of them spending big money on a player who they might not be convinced by seems slim.
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Getty/GoalOutgoings – Hector Bellerin
With Nicolas Pepe’s loan move to Nice now confirmed, attentions shifts to getting the last couple of unwanted players out of the door.
A move to Real Betis remains the most likely option for Hector Bellerin, but Barcelona are also lurking.
The Catalan outfit have yet to make an official offer for the right-back as they have been looking at Juan Foyth at Villarreal, but they have been in talks with the Arsenal star's camp.
And Bellerin’s representatives are waiting to see if Barcelona firm up their interest in the defender as deadline day approaches.
Betis meanwhile are working to free up space in their squad for Bellerin, who enjoyed a fine loan spell with the La Liga outfit last season.
They are also hoping that Arsenal will come to an agreement to terminate Bellerin’s contract a year early.
Talks between Arsenal and Belelrin’s representatives have taken place about a potential termination, but so far no agreement has been reached.
The expectation is, however, that Bellerin will certainly leave Arsenal before the end of the window.