With Arsenal riding high in the Premier League, many thoughts have turned to the players they will bring in during the summer to continue their progress and links to certain players perhaps tells us the thinking going on behind the scenes.
Some players get linked with Arsenal more than others and while, ultimately, they may not end up signing for the club, the amount of noise surrounding particular players could well tell us what positions the club are trying to reinforce.
The same goes for players being linked with exits from the club.
From the rumours that have been around so far, a few pictures are starting to emerge.
Arsenal’s Defence
Both Kieran Tierney and Nuno Tavares look like they will be leaving the club this summer.
The former is too good to sit on the bench and has persistent admirers at Newcastle and Aston Villa.
The latter has impressed on loan in Marseille, but only with his attacking ability, scoring six goals. As a defender, he has been roundly criticised.
That means Arsenal will certainly be looking for a left-sided defender this summer.
That makes it somewhat surprising that links with left-backs have been light on the ground recently, but we can expect that to change the closer we get to the summer.
Arsenal’s Midfield
Arsenal are also looking to reinforce their midfield and one name sits head and shoulders above everybody else – Declan Rice.
According to recent reports, Declan Rice is largely expected to join Arsenal this summer, as he wants to compete at a higher level than he finds at West Ham United.
Rice, who is also reportedly a “huge admirer” of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, has been a top target for the Gunners, and they are growing in confidence that they can secure the £80 million midfielder despite interest from other Premier League clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester United.
With several reports suggesting that Rice has been asking about Arsenal and showing a preference to join the club, it seems the Gunners are well on their way to reinforcing their midfield.
Arsenal’s Attack
The forward player most linked with Arsenal so far has been Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio.
Arsenal have reportedly started talks with Asensio, who will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Asensio is said to be interested in joining Arsenal because of the club’s project, with a move for the Spanish international to London being described as “ideal”.
His agents were also spotted in London recently, fuelling speculation of a potential deal.