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Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Arsenal want to bring in a midfielder in the summer and have prepared a four-man shortlist for it. Juventus’ Arthur Melo, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ruben Neves, Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz, and Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans are the four names on the said list.
The Gunners find themselves in a favorable position to secure Champions League football for next season. They currently have a four-point lead over fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and only require a win in the upcoming north London derby to achieve their target.
The north Londoners are completely committed to reaching their goal next season, but that is not stopping them from plotting for the future. As per Romano, Mikel Arteta’s side are gearing up to bring in a midfielder and already have their eyes on some excellent options. In his column for Caught Offside, he wrote:
“Another club prioritizing a new midfielder this summer is Arsenal. The Gunners are considering several candidates because a new midfielder will arrive in the summer, there is no doubt, but who it will be will hinge on whether or not the club can qualify for the Champions League.”
He added:
“Arthur Melo has been an option for months but is no longer the priority, unlike in January; Douglas Luiz can leave Aston Villa and there has been talk of interest from Arsenal, but there is no negotiation in progress yet.”
Romano asserted that Champions League qualification was the first thing on the Gunners’ mind and it would impact the players they go for.
He added:
“Before choosing the best candidate, Arsenal want to be sure of qualification for next season’s Champions League: Ruben Neves is on the list for sure but the price could be too expensive, Youri Tielemans is certainly appreciated and Arsenal are among the clubs interested in buying them if the transfer conditions are favourable, around €30-35m because his contract will expire in June 2023 and he’s 100% leaving Leicester in the summer.”
Granit Xhaka could leave Arsenal in the summer
Having served the Gunners diligently over the last six years, Granit Xhaka could be on the move this summer. According to Romano, the holding midfielder is on AS Roma’s radar and is set to have a discussion with the Gunners at the end of the season. Like his teammates, the Swiss is fully committed to securing top-four football and does not want any distractions.
On the topic of departures, Romano added:
“We could see midfielders leaving the club as well: Granit Xhaka has always been on Jose Mourinho’s list for his AS Roma, but has not received communications from Arsenl so far. He will talk about it with the club at end of the current season, but no distractions during the UCL spot race.”
Xhaka has appeared in 24 Premier League games for Arteta’s side this season, recording one goal and two assists.
