Surprise Arsenal transfer plan spells bad news for TWO stars

Robin Bairner

• 6 May 2023 09:41 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is not about to settle for his club’s achievements this season and is already seeking to strengthen his squad over the summer.

The Gunners have enjoyed a resurgent Premier League season that has put them in title contention heading into the final straight of the campaign, yet they have been undermined by a lack of depth in their ranks.

Arsenal are known to want to strengthen their ranks in the centre of midfield, with Declan Rice linked to the club along with Moises Caicedo, but The Athletic’s David Ornstein has revealed that the Emirates outfit also wish to strengthen in a more advanced role.

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“In front of that holding position, there is the feeling around the club that a bit more creativity is needed to supplement the likes of Martin Odegaard – and that’s why there’s admiration for Mason Mount,” Ornstein explained.

In terms of the targets being monitored by Arsenal in this regard, Mason Mount of Chelsea and Mohammed Kudus are names that have been thrown into the mix.

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Two big Arsenal losers

This would also seem to spell bad news for Emile Smith Rowe, who has struggled to make an impression all season. The Arsenal academy graduate had seemed set to have a big impact in the long term at the Emirates when he scored 11 times last season, but he has faded from view this term.

Aston Villa have been linked with him.

Equally, it suggests that Fabio Vieira has not had the impact that Arteta would have wished. Signed from Porto for €35 million, he started brightly but has shown indifferent form since and as such has seen his minutes in his debut campaign limited.

His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) is just €19m, suggesting Arsenal thought they were buying a better player than they have got.