Arsenal set for transfer shake-up as Arteta targets top-class striker

Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal could be forced to stretch their transfer budget this summer as they prioritise signing a top-class striker to finally end their long wait for silverware.

Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal may break transfer budget in search for striker

The Gunners, despite another promising campaign, are set to finish the season empty-handed after being knocked out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage and losing ground in the Premier League title race to Liverpool.

With just two games left, Arsenal are fighting to secure a top-three finish and Champions League qualification — but for Arteta, the focus has already shifted to the summer window.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s penultimate match of the season against Newcastle, Arteta compared the upcoming transfer window to wedding planning:

“The thing is, the budget is like when you plan your wedding. You give your wife a number and it’s never that — it’s always more,” he said with a smile.

Arsenal reportedly have around £100 million to spend, but that figure could rise if the right striker becomes available.

The club has been heavily linked with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, and Newcastle’s Alexander Isak — all of whom would command a significant fee.

With Kai Havertz still the club’s top Premier League scorer on just nine goals — and having missed nearly four months due to injury — a proven goal-scorer is clearly a top priority for the Gunners.

Arteta acknowledged the challenges of the market, saying, “There are so many variables. Sometimes we want a player and suddenly there’s an injury. You prepare for different scenarios.”

Despite rumours of tension between Arteta and new sporting director Andrea Berta, the Spaniard dismissed any rift. “That hasn’t happened. It didn’t happen with Edu in five and a half years, and it’s not happening now,” he insisted.

Arsenal’s push for Champions League football continues this weekend, with Havertz possibly returning from hamstring surgery to face Newcastle.

The striker hunt, however, looks set to define Arsenal’s summer — and potentially their ambitions for next season.