Arsenal’s dream summer transfer window explained as £59m trio near exit door

Arsenal have been sent back to the drawing board ahead of the summer transfer window, with Mikel Arteta’s spirited side ultimately falling short in their quest to pip Manchester City to the Premier League title. The club’s year of savvy recruitment at the Emirates Stadium will need to continue as Champions League football beckons, while rival teams are also preparing to strengthen.

The Gunners topped the Premier League table for most of the current campaign, but a late-season capitulation opened the door to Man City boss Pep Guardiola, and his side capitalised in ruthless fashion.

Not only will Arsenal fans want to go one better and lift the title next term, but they will also demand respectable performances in Europe and an improvement on the team’s early-stage exits in both domestic cups.

With that, Express Sport takes you through two key elements that would make up a dream transfer window in north London, with Arteta and co set to pick themselves up and dust themselves down over the coming months…

Sabotage Pep Guardiola

Two of Arsenal’s biggest signings last summer came from Man City, and although Guardiola may have felt comfortable selling Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to a top-four chasing side, he was eventually forced to question the decision due to the Gunners’ surprise title charge.

Arteta could pressure Guardiola into making the same mistake this summer, with a move for City outcast Joao Cancelo reported to be on the agenda. The Portuguese fell out with his manager earlier this season and subsequently joined Bayern Munich on loan.

But the German giants reportedly have no plans to make the move permanent, and a return to the Etihad Stadium appears unlikely based on the boos that accompanied his substitute appearance for Bayern in the two sides’ Champions League clash last month.

The work regarding Granit Xhaka may already be done for him, with Bayer Leverkusen reportedly closing in on a £13million deal after the midfielder decided that he wanted to move his family back to Germany.

Two forgotten players are also set to be on the chopping block, with £19m-rated Nicolas Pepe and on-loan Reims striker Folarin Balogun, who has a £27m price tag, both thought to be eyeing up new chapters away from north London.

While waving goodbye to a talented trio would be tough to take for Gunners fans, it would also give the club’s transfer kitty a healthy boost with which to pursue their more ambitious targets this summer.