Arsenal are close to completing two major signings this week with Willian and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang set to put pen to paper on their contracts with the club.
Willian is set to join on a free transfer and has already said his goodbyes to Chelsea with only the formalities remaining over his three year contract to join Arsenal. He is expected to earn around £100,000-a-week having rejected a two year stay at Stamford Bridge as well as interest from Barcelona.
Meanwhile Aubameyang is set to agree a three year contract worth in excess of £250,000-a-week. Arsenal had long been optimistic that their club captain would agree to extend his stay but having an agreement in place early in the brief window between seasons will allow the Gunners to push forward with the ambitious rebuild Mikel Arteta wants.
After Willian's signing there are three key priorities remaining for the recruitment team, headed up by Raul Sanllehi: extending Dani Ceballos' loan, securing the dynamic midfield presence Arteta craves and adding quality in central defence.
Ceballos' future is complicated by Real Madrid's preference to sell the 24-year-old but there is cause for optimism that a deal suiting Arsenal, the Spanish champions and the player can eventually be agreed.
Thomas Partey remains Arsenal's preferred signing in central midfield and, as football.london revealed last month, he would seriously consider moving to London if his suitors can reach an agreement with Atletico Madrid. For their part they are insistent that they want to keep Partey and will only allow him to leave if his £45million release clause is paid in full.
In terms of a centre-back Lille's Gabriel Magalhaes has emerged as a leading option, one that Arsenal have scouted extensively and who they could reportedly secure for around £25million.
To fund these deals Arsenal are looking to cash in on the likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Lucas Torreira, Sokratis and Matteo Guendouzi, the latter of whom has now seen Paris Saint-Germain add themselves to his list of suitors.
Such significant transfer business will undoubtedly draw some criticism after Arsenal made 55 employees redundant across the club last week.
However sources at the club note that the Gunners' financial difficulties will not be eased if they consistently fail to qualify for the Champions League and that investing in Arteta's playing staff is a prerequisite for success.
