"You're looking at a summer spend of close to £200 million" - Sky Sports reporter provides exciting update about Mikel Arteta and Arsenal's transfer plans 

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has hinted that Arsenal could spend more this summer. He claims the club could be looking at spending a total of around £200 million and still have a lot left in their purse.

The Gunners have already signed Oleksandr Zinchenko, Matt Turner, Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos, and Gabriel Jesus this summer, taking their spending to over £100 million. The club were also in the race for former Leeds United winger Raphinha, but he opted to join Barcelona.

Sheth further pointed out that if the Gunners were to spend the amount they had offered for Raphinha, they could be spending close to £200 million this summer. The Gunners were reportedly willing to make an offer of close to £50 million for the Brazilian.

The reporter was speaking to Give Me Sport when he said:

"I think all of this business that Arsenal are doing, particularly last summer and this summer, just highlights how much they're backing Mikel Arteta. He's the long-term project for them. They're backing him all the way.

They didn't have European football last season, and yet they spent more than any club in Europe in the transfer window, in excess of £140 million. Now the Zinchenko deal has gone through, I think they are almost be at that level again for this summer with five or six weeks to go in the window and if they were to buy another player they will beat last year's record.

"If they were to spend as much on a right-sided player that they were willing to spend on Raphinha, then you're looking at a summer spend of close to £200 million."

Arsenal notably had a very productive transfer window last summer as well, bringing in the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Nuno Tavares and Martin Odegaard.

Arsenal are still active in the transfer market

Arsenal's technical director Edu spoke to Sky Sports earlier this week and confirmed that the club was not done with its transfer business. He hinted that they were waiting for the right players alongside looking at replacements for the possible departees.

Last month, the Gunners announced the departure of Alexandre Lacazette. The 31-year-old left the club on a free transfer to join Ligue 1 side Lyon.

He was quoted by the English publication saying:

"I think we have to be prepared for every situation. We still feel the transfer window is open and the most important thing is to be prepared for everything, every scenario, because opportunities can happen. Clubs can approach us, players probably want to go on loan, so there's still lots to do, but again, being prepared for me is the most important [thing] and for sure we are very much prepared for almost everything."

Arsenal finished fifth last season and missed out on a Champions League spot against Tottenham Hotspur despite being in the driver's seat with five matches left.