Arsenal are now ready to offer Barcelona a substantial fee to sign a noteworthy name in Hansi Flick’s squad, with the Gunners already preparing for next campaign after their faltered Premier League title challenge.
Arsenal title hopes in tatters after 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest
Liverpool have now taken a seismic 13-point lead at the top of table, and it would take a miracle for Mikel Arteta to close the gap at this stage with just under 10 games remaining of the 2024/2025 campaign.
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£265,000-per-week Arsenal star could now be out injured until 2026
He faces a hefty leave of absence.
The Champions League now stands as their only hope of clinching any major silverware this season, but Arsenal must contend for European football’s most prestigious honour without a recognised striker.
|
Arsenal’s next five Premier League games |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Man Utd (away) |
March 9th |
|
Chelsea (home) |
March 16th |
|
Fulham (home) |
April 1st |
|
Everton (away) |
April 5th |
|
Brentford (home) |
April 12th |
Gabriel Jesus could be out injured until 2026, according to some reports, while Kai Havertz is set to miss the rest of this season after surgery on his hamstring. These blows, combined with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli’s absences, have left Arteta very short of attacking options and ultimately derailed the club’s title challenge.
Attention is already turning to the next campaign, and how Arsenal can reinforce their ranks ahead of a potentially more successful chase for their first domestic crown in over two decades.
Reports suggest that Arsenal could even look to bring in two new strikers this summer, with Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko at the centre of their interest.
Meanwhile, with left-back Kieran Tierney likely to join Celtic at the end of this season, and Oleksandr Zinchenko appears out of Arteta’s long-term plans following January links to Borussia Dortmund.
Arsenal are monitoring Club Brugge left-back Maxim De Cuyper as a result, with reports in Italy claiming that they’re set to meet with the Belgium international’s representatives soon.
Thomas Partey and Jorginho are also out of contract at the end of this season, prompting Arsenal’s rumoured attempt to agree a pre-summer deal for Martin Zubimendi.
The Real Sociedad star would be a fantastic stand-in for Partey or Jorginho, but in the event Zubimendi rejects a move to the Premier League, then Arsenal are considering another option in Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.
Arsenal ready to make £62 million bid for Frenkie de Jong
The Boot Room reported last week that his representatives touched base with Arsenal to gauge their interest in the Dutchman, with a Spanish media source now sharing further news on him.
According to the report, Arsenal are prepared to make a £62 million bid for de Jong in the summer window, a fee which could tempt the Catalans into a deal considering the 27-year-old is out of contract in 2026.
Flick personally wants to keep de Jong at the Camp Nou, but Barça are yet to negotiate a renewal with the Netherlands international, which has opened the door for Arsenal.
While he isn’t enjoying his most fruitful campaign this season, de Jong has been lavished with praise for his overall quality, especially by Erik ten Hag, who was notably eager to sign him for Man United.
“Frenkie is an incredible player and for every club in the whole world he will strengthen the squad because he has a unique quality,” said Ten Hag.
“If you can get him in the squad your team will be stronger. In Spain he became even better. He’s a fantastic player, plays out from the back, he always has time, and it was a pleasure to work with him.”
