The 2022/23 season might have ended in disappointment for Arsenal, but this promises to be the most exciting summer transfer window for the club, as the North London giants look to add two highly-rated Premier League midfielders to their squad.
The first man is no secret. Declan Rice has been the Gunners' priority for months and with West Ham having completed their season almost a week ago, beating Fiorentina 2-1 in the UEFA Europa Conference League final, the North London giants have stepped up their pursuit of the Englishman.
And in the late hours of Monday, the Guardian revealed that Arsenal are on the brink of reaching an agreement for the West Ham midfielder. According to that report, while an official bid for the player has not yet been lodged, Edu and Co. are close to agreeing a fee for the Englishman, with the Gunners growing in confidence that the deal could be wrapped up soon.
The Premier League runners-up were keen on paying £90M (just over $113M) for Rice, but upon the Hammers' demands, add-ons could see this deal surpass the £100M mark ($126M).
Personal terms won't be an issue as Arsenal look to wrap up this deal as swiftly as possible. The reasons are understandable: with growing interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester United, Arteta and Co. do not want this to drag on and risk suffering a setback.
And much to the pleasure of Arsenal fans, the North London giants won't stop there. According to the Telegraph, the board are eyeing a move for another Premier League midfield sensation, and to no one's surprise, that man is Moises Caicedo.
The Brighton ace, regarded by many as one of the best young midfielders in the world, is set to leave the Amex this summer. Arteta wanted the Ecuadorian ace back in January, with the club making two bids for the 21-year-old. However, the Seagulls rejected both approaches.
It should be noted that Arsenal are merely "exploring the possibility of bidding" for Moises, with the midfielder expected to cost north of £70M ($88M). However, Chelsea are pushing hard for the Ecuadorian, which could complicate things for the North London giants, as that will like push Caicedo's price tag up.
Ilkay Gundogan is also of interest to Arteta and Co. but the player has offers from Barcelona, Saudi Arabia, and his current Man City side, whom he captained to the UEFA Champions League title over the weekend.
