Arsenal could be offered the chance to sign a marquee Brazil star for manager Mikel Arteta, as an elite European club hatches their own transfer plan for 2025.
Arsenal's rumoured transfer plans for 2025
While Arteta prepares his side to take on Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup tonight, sporting director Edu Gaspar and co are already planning for next year in terms of who they could bring in to bolster the Spaniard’s squad.
Arsenal planning move for £52m star as Arteta personally targets goalscorer
The north Londoners didn’t sign a striker this summer.
ByEmilio GalantiniSep 25, 2024
The summer transfer window has only just closed, and it was a productive one of the Gunners – who spent around £100 million on five key signings in the form of David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Neto and Raheem Sterling – but weeks of planning goes into each window by Edu’s own admission.
“You can’t sign for the sake of signing. It has to be a process that takes weeks and weeks,” said Edu on Arsenal’s recruitment policy in an interview with Estadao earlier this year.
Goals
19
Assists
12
Yellow cards
13
Red cards
0
Minutes played
5,335
“On my desk, I have reports of over 180 pages on one player. It’s really detailed stuff. Physical, technical, mental profile, whether he has Premier League experience, whether he’ll be able to adapt. Everything. We analyse our deficiencies, where we can improve, where we can invest and then we go in search of that new name. We’ve been discussing what I’m going to do now since January. It’s not my decision or Mikel’s. It’s a group decision.”
After opting against bringing in a new number nine in the summer, it is believed that Arteta is targeting a prolific scorer for Arsenal ahead of 2025. The likes of Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres stand out as strikers linked with moves to Arsenal next year, while it is believed Arsenal are also planning a potential move for Dusan Vlahovic.
Now, while not necessarily a natural striker, another very interesting option has emerged in the form Real Madrid forward Rodrygo.
Arsenal could be offered Rodrygo in William Saliba swap deal
According to Football Transfers, Real could offer Arsenal the chance to sign Rodrygo in a swap deal for star defender William Saliba, as Carlo Ancelotti’s side scour the market for world-class centre-backs.
However, it is believed that Arsenal have adopted a not-for-sale stance when it comes to Saliba, so it remains to be seen whether the Brazil international’s inclusion in talks would be enough to sway Arteta and Edu – given just how crucial their defender is to them.
Rodrygo commands a reported £136 million price tag, and he is widely regarded as one of the best wingers in world football, so he would be a real statement signing – but potentially not at the cost of losing their best centre-half.
“He is a special striker, he can play in all positions,” said Ancelotti on Rodrygo. “He is fast, smart and effective one on one. The learning is over. He is a Real Madrid player for all purposes.”
