'Going to be' - Mikel Arteta has just fired major summer transfer warning to Liverpool and Man City

Mikel Arteta has insisted that Arsenal are set for a ‘big’ summer transfer window as they aim to end their Premier League drought.

The Gunners look set to finish as the top-flight’s head bridesmaid for a third successive season. In the past two campaigns, they were runners-up to Manchester City. And despite City’s form jettisoning this term, Arsenal have been unable to take full advantage, with Liverpool currently 12 points clear at the summit of the table with nine fixtures remaining.

Since his arrival as head coach in 2019, Arteta has won just one major trophy at the Emirates Stadium, which was the FA Cup in his first year at the helm. Arsenal have not claimed the Premier League since 2004 when ‘The Invincibles’ did not lose a game throughout the league season.

It is widely agreed that the Gunners have been short of an elite striker for some time, while they could look to strengthen their wide options and in midfield. Martin Zubimendi, who turned down a switch to Liverpool last year, is reportedly in talks to move to North London, while they have also shown interest in Alexander Isak along with the Reds.

What’s been said

Arteta said via the Telegraph: “We want to increase the depth of the squad but as well we want to increase the quality and the skills that we need to go to the next step. It’s going to be a big one [summer] and we are very excited about it.

“In the beginning, there were a lot of players with three, four or five-year contracts, so the turnaround of the squad and how you visualise the next three, four, five years, are very dependent on what is going to happen here [with those players].

“So I think they were very different [windows, compared to this summer]. The way you start to evolve, you start to master certain things and compete for certain things, then the changes cannot be that much. That’s where we are. The line now is thinner, the margins are smaller. But the cost of that, as well, increases. It’s a big summer for many things, because first of all we have to maintain the good foundations that we have. And then obviously, how can we improve and evolve the team?”

Arsenal have appointed Andrea Bereta as their new sporting director to replace Edu. Bereta arrives from Atletico Madrid and will help ‘twist’ their transfer policy. Arteta added: “He [Berta] will jump on board with that [transfer planning] and hopefully he will twist it and make it better. That’s why he is here.”