Arsenal have representatives of top-tier players coming to them with an interest in transfers after an impressive campaign for Mikel Arteta’s side.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and AFC Bournemouth at Emirates Stadium on March 04, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and AFC Bournemouth at Emirates Stadium on March 04, 2023. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

The Independent report that Arsenal are a much more attractive prospect on the market right now than they were in previous seasons.

Club executives tell the Independent of a marked contrast to just a couple of seasons ago, with the Gunners now having representatives of players “in the highest bracket” coming to them.

This is reportedly about more than just Arsenal’s return to the Champions League, which was recently confirmed. It’s also simply a result of Arsenal’s public image as one of the most exciting teams around at the moment.

Mikel Arteta recently admitted to the media that Arsenal’s return to the Champions League would help with recruitment, though he insisted the club is an attractive destination either way.

“Champions League helps, because every player wants to be involved in that competition and it’s going to help us, because we are going to have to nail the recruitment,” Arteta said.

“We know that we are going to have play a different level and the demands are going to be even higher.

“We are really lucky because when you open the doors of Arsenal and you talk about Arsenal to any player, they want to come. My experience has been that, regardless of Champions League [football].”

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 25: Mikel Arteta, Head Coach of Arsenal celebrates the win during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Arsenal FC at The King Power Stadium on February 25, 2023 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND: Mikel Arteta, Head Coach of Arsenal celebrates the win during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Arsenal FC at The King Power Stadium on February 25, 2023. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

There’s a difference between being able to convince the players you target, and agents actively coming to the club to try and sell you top-tier talents.

Arsenal might not have struggled to convince the players they wanted in previous seasons, but that will be partly because they targeted players they believed would be willing to join the project to begin with.

Now, it seems Arteta has taken the team to a place where his transfer team could target pretty much anyone and they’d be keen to join, as long as Arsenal could afford the transfer fee.

The next step is about taking advantage of that to secure the level of talent necessary to challenge for the top trophies.