Arteta ready to break Arsenal budget to land top striker
Arsenal are poised to end another campaign without silverware, extending their trophy drought to five years. Injuries to key forwards – Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Jesus – have hindered their progress, while Martin Ødegaard also missed crucial spells.
Mikel Arteta is prepared to stretch Arsenal's transfer budget this summer in pursuit of a marquee striker to lead the club's Premier League title charge next season.
Arsenal are poised to end another campaign without silverware, extending their trophy drought to five years. Injuries to key forwards – Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Jesus – have hindered their progress, while Martin Ødegaard also missed crucial spells. These absences proved costly as Arsenal slipped behind eventual champions Liverpool and were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final.
A new centre-forward now tops Arteta's priority list. Havertz, sidelined for nearly four months, remains Arsenal's highest Premier League goalscorer this season with just nine goals – a stat that underlines the club's blunt attacking edge.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The Gunners are reportedly working with a transfer budget of at least £100 million, with potential targets including Benjamin Šeško of RB Leipzig, Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyökeres, and Alexander Isak of Newcastle. Arsenal also failed in a January approach for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, but Arteta is now more determined than ever to secure a proven goalscorer.
"The thing is that the budget is like when you plan your wedding – you agree it with your wife, but it always ends up costing more," Arteta told reporters on Friday, 17 May. "When you build a house, it's the same. There are always extra costs, and you have to plan for different scenarios. You want a player, then suddenly they're injured. These things happen."
Despite recent speculation of a disagreement between Arteta and Arsenal's new sporting director Andrea Berta – who replaced Edu in March – the Spaniard dismissed talk of internal friction.
"Well, if that happens, it means we've failed to explain ourselves properly. But I can guarantee you, that hasn't happened," said Arteta. "It didn't happen in five and a half years with Edu, and it hasn't happened with Andrea either.
"We've learned from the transfers that worked and those that didn't. We just need to get the big calls right. Andrea is driven, clear in his ideas, and focused on how we want to achieve success."
Arsenal, currently second in the Premier League, face third-placed Newcastle on Sunday.
