Arsenal targeting six signings as Berta drives summer recruitment push

Arsenal are pursuing as many as six transfers this summer, with sporting director Andrea Berta and head of scouting Maurizio Micheli leading a recruitment drive that has so far yielded only the £42.5 million permanent signing of Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen.

According to the Daily Mail, the Gunners have already submitted a bid for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and are preparing to test Paris Saint-Germain’s resolve over wide forward Bradley Barcola. Arsenal are also in talks over Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, have made enquiries about Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott, and have held discussions with the representatives of Swedish forward Kerim Alajbegovic. Christos Tzolis, who is said to have been offered to the club, is another player Arsenal are reportedly keen on.

The Mail notes there is precedent under Berta — who joined from Atletico Madrid in the off-season — for conducting several negotiations at the same time, and that the club’s relatively quiet start to the window is partly explained by their participation in the Champions League final and the ongoing World Cup, which has kept several targets on international duty.

Of the six players linked, Barcola and Rogers are viewed as potential marquee wide-forward additions, while Alajbegovic and Tzolis are considered more budget-conscious options in the same position. Guimaraes and Scott are both seen as central midfield candidates who could operate alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, with Martin Zubimendi having fallen to the fringes of Mikel Arteta’s plans towards the end of last season.

Arteta has made clear he wants the club to raise its ambitions after their Champions League final defeat. “We will start the process to review what we’ve done,” the manager said. “If you want to reach another level, we’re going to have to show” — the implication being that significant investment is expected to follow.

The Mail reports Arsenal are targeting around four additions to strengthen the squad as they prepare to defend their Premier League title next season.