Arsenal are planning a big summer of spending, budgeting £180m for summer signings, according to a report.

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Burnley at the Emirates Stadium in London on January 23, 2022. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Burnley at the Emirates Stadium in London on January 23, 2022. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

The S*n report that Arsenal are planning a major squad upgrade in the summer, with up to £180m available for signings.

They add that Mikel Arteta does know he’ll need Champions League football to secure all his top targets. Alexander Isak, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Ruben Neves are on that list.

For the fans, the January transfer window was disappointing. A number of players went out the door, but hardly anyone came in.

Lino Sousa joined the u23s, MLS defender Auston Trusty joined on a permanent deal before being loaned back out to the Colorado Rapids, and Arsenal agreed a deal to sign goalkeeper Matt Turner in the summer. But that’s it.

Still, the business Arsenal did pointed to long-term planning. Trusty and Sousa are clearly options for the future, whilst Turner’s signing covers the impending departure of Bernd Leno.

The wage bill has been significantly eased by all the permanent January exits, particularly Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang interacts with Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal as he is substituted during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on October 22, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang interacts with Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal as he is substituted during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on October 22, 2021. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

At a minimum, given Arsenal won’t be contributing to Aubameyang’s wages at all from summer onwards, that’s saved them at least £18m.

The total figure will be more than that, as we know the striker has lowered his salary for the next six months, and that reduced wage will be split between Arsenal and Barcelona.

So even if the source of this report is The S*n, we do know that Arsenal have some money to work with to fill key positions this summer – primarily centre-forward and central midfield.

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