Having kicked off pre-season with a resounding 5-0 win over MLS stars in the early hours of Thursday, Arsenal are definitely feeling very good in their camp ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
While the Gunners may not have ultimately succeeded in toppling Manchester City and claiming their first Premier League crown since 2004, Mikel Arteta’s budding side have set their sights on another real league title.
Arsenal have already gone bust this summer welcoming the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber to north London and have already made quite a few announcements this summer.
However, as Arteta has made it clear he’s still keen to complete his burgeoning group before the window closes on September 1st, we’ve taken a look at the trio of European stars who may still be on their way to the Emirates.
Romeo Lavia – Southampton.
While Southampton may have ended up losing their Premier League status due to last season’s whining, Romeo Lavia ended his breakout campaign with plenty of accolades and it’s no surprise that the ex-Man City starlet is set to return to the top flight immediately this summer.
Despite only joining St Mary’s last summer for an initial fee of just £10.5m, Lavia has emerged as one of the most popular young midfield stars in the Premier League.
While the reigning Premier League champions may still have a buyout clause in Lavia’s Southampton contract, there are a number of English heavyweights who have been after the 19-year-old this summer.
While Liverpool may also continue to be closely linked with a potential Lavia attack over the next six weeks, Football insider It was reported last weekend that the Arteta team was preparing an official move and had already agreed on personal terms on a long-term deal in north London.
With ongoing speculation that Thomas Partey could still leave the Emirates this summer, Lavia is seen as the perfect replacement for Arteta in midfield.
Mohammed Kudus – Ajax
After Arteta made it clear that his plan is to recruit Europe’s elite young talent, it looks like the Gunners are now aiming to complete what will be a real coup before the summer transfer window slams shut.
While Ajax may have come under some serious domestic scrutiny last season as they ended up finishing 13 points behind Eredivisie winners Feyenoord, Mohammed Kudus was certainly the standout in a dismal campaign in Amsterdam.
While Dutch icons may have seen Anthony join Manchester United last summer for £82m, Kudus has enjoyed his new role as Ajax’s attacking talisman.
Dutch legend Marcos Van Basten said earlier this year that Kudus is better than Anthony, and the Ghana international has scored 18 goals in all competitions and quickly emerged as one of Europe’s most promising young players.
At the end of the season, representatives of Kudus said that this summer the 22-year-old is looking for new adventures. Football London reports that Arteta has made Ajax’s attacking starlet his new number one target.
Martin Baturina – Dinamo Zagreb
While Arsenal may have welcomed the likes of Rice, Havertz and Timber to north London this month, it’s no secret that Arteta is looking to snag up-and-coming European starlets he can develop over the next few seasons.
Really impressive at the U21 European Championship this summer despite Croatia’s shortcomings, Martin Baturina has certainly attracted some heavyweight interest over the past month.
Comparable to Real Madrid superstar and Croatian icon Luka Modric, the 20-year-old playmaker made 48 appearances for Dinamo Zagreb last season and also made 11 Champions League appearances in his breakthrough campaign.
Similarly, after scoring 19 goals for the reigning Croatian champions, Express It is reported that Arteta is a big fan of the Zagreb starlet and has already sent his scouts to watch Baturina several times.