Declan Rice signs, Partey out, Caicedo in – Arsenal Dream midfield after £175m summer transfers
While the official transfer window is yet to open, Arsenal has already begun their preparations. Last summer, with an investment of approximately £125 million, Edu was able to construct a high-quality squad for Mikel Arteta. This time, even bigger things could be in store.
Having secured a spot in the Champions League for the first time since 2017, Arsenal will need to have a deeper squad to meet the demands of the competition. One area they seem likely to reinforce is central midfield.
Although Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey had mostly impressive seasons, rumors of their potential departures have been circulating. Additionally, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Charlie Patino could also be on the move. Therefore, Sportsdias examines how Arsenal’s midfield might shape up by September 2nd.
Dream midfield
It is widely known that Declan Rice is Arsenal’s main target for the midfield position. The Gunners are anticipated to make an offer for the English international in the next few days following his victory in the Europa Conference League with West Ham on Wednesday night.
Rice would be an excellent replacement for Granit Xhaka in the left central midfield role. Additionally, his versatility allows him to play as a defensive midfielder (number six) if Mikel Arteta decides to field a more attacking player like Emile Smith Rowe or Fabio Vieira in front of him. The 24-year-old is expected to come with a price tag around £100 million.
Indeed, Arsenal may not limit their midfield moves to just Declan Rice. Despite a generally impressive season, there have been concerns about Thomas Partey’s form towards the end of the campaign, leading to speculation about his future.
There have been reports of interest from Italian clubs, and if Partey were to depart Arsenal, the club would need to find a suitable replacement for him.
There is optimism that Mohamed Elneny will regain fitness at some point next season, and Jorginho has performed well since his arrival in January. However, with the prospect of Champions League football ahead, Arsenal will need to enhance the overall quality of their squad. This could lead them to pursue Moises Caicedo from Brighton once again.
Acquiring Caicedo would likely come at a significant cost, as Brighton rejected a £75 million bid for him in January. Moreover, the player has signed a new contract since then, which could further increase his price. Nevertheless, if Arsenal can successfully secure the services of the Ecuadorian midfielder, it would be an excellent addition to their squad.
DREAM ARSENAL MIDFIELD – Caicedo; Rice, Odegaard
Declan Rice signs, Partey out, Caicedo in – Arsenal Dream midfield after £175m summer transfers
