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Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League last season, two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. Gunners manager Mikel Arteta is looking to upgrade his squad over the summer to help break into the top four next season.
Meanwhile, the Gunners have suffered a blow in their pursuit of a Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder. Elsewhere, former striker Kevin Campbell has backed the north London side to win the race for an Ajax defender.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on July 1, 2022:
Arsenal suffer blow in Ruben Neves pursuit
Arsenal have suffered a setback in their pursuit of Ruben Neves. According to The Sun, Wolverhampton Wanderers want £75 million for the Portuguese this summer. Arteta is eager to enrich his options in midfield ahead of the new season and has had his eyes on Neves for a while.
The 25-year-old has been highly successful since arriving at Molineux in 2017. He has raked up 212 appearances for the Midlands club, scoring 24 goals. Arteta wanted Neves’ expertise at the Emirates, but Wolves' exorbitant valuation of the midfielder makes a deal quite unlikely.
Kevin Campbell backs Gunners to win race for Lisandro Martinez
Kevin Campbell has backed Arsenal to win the race for Lisandro Martinez. The Gunners are locked in negotiations with Ajax for the Argentinean defender. Manchester United are also in hot pursuit of the 24-year-old.
Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell said the Gunners have a good chance of getting the deal done.
“It sounds like the door has been opened. There is a seat at the table. They are open to discussing it. If Ajax weren’t interested in selling, they would have rejected this bid out of hand," said Campbell.
He added:
“I don’t believe personal terms will be an issue. It is just a matter of the clubs thrashing it out. It is nice to see Arsenal looking to open these doors. I like that Arsenal are acting early and are trying to get these deals done.”
Arsenal desperate to sign Raphinha, says Luke Chadwick
Former Manchester United midfielder Luke Chadwick believes Arsenal could be desperate to sign Raphinha this summer. The Gunners are locked in a three-horse race with Barcelona and Chelsea for the Leeds United forward.
Speaking to Caught Offside, Chadwick said that Raphinha would enhance Arteta's attack.
“I think Arsenal will have been desperate to get Raphinha. I think it would have allowed them to rotate a bit and make it hard for opposition defenders to pick them up," said Chadwick.
He continued:
"You look at Raphinha; he’s similar to Bukayo Saka in that he’s comfortable on either flank, and Gabriel Martinelli too to an extent. I think it would keep the opposition guessing and pose challenges to opposition full-backs."
Chadwick added that the north London side could be disappointed if they miss out on Raphinha.
“If Arsenal were looking for a wide player, I think Raphinha fits the bill really well, and if they’d signed him to go alongside Gabriel Jesus that would have been massive for them," said Chadwick.
He added:
“They had a good season, finishing 5th, but if they want to get into the top four, they probably need more goals, so I think they’ll be looking now for another attacking player, but they’ll be really disappointed if they end up not signing Raphinha.”
