Declan Rice, Moussa Diaby, Wilfried Zaha and Marc Guehi are on Mikel Arteta’s six-man wish-list as Arsenal prepare to spend big in the summer in a bid to close the gap on title rivals Manchester City
- Bayer Leverkusen winger Diaby has emerged as a top attacking target for Arteta
- The Arsenal manager is also targeting a centre-back and two central midfielders
- Teenage Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia is also of interest to the Gunners
Arsenal will sanction a costly summer recruitment drive to close the gap on Manchester City – with France winger Moussa Diaby emerging as a lead target for Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners moved to back the Premier League summit on Monday night with a 3-1 win over Chelsea as they returned to winning ways following a run of four games with victory that saw them relinquish control of the title race.
And they are committed to strengthening their squad ahead of next season as they look to keep pace with City and ensure they are equipped for their long-awaited return to the Champions League.
It is understood Arteta wants a new centre-back, possibly two central midfielders and a versatile attacker.
Bayer Leverkusen forward Diaby is believed to be of serious interest to Arsenal.
Arsenal will sanction a costly summer recruitment drive to close the gap on Manchester City – with Declan Rice (left) and Moussa Diaby (right) on their radar
Mikel Arteta has identified six players who could move them closer to the title next season
The 23-year-old has had an excellent season, scoring 14 goals so far – adding to his tally of 17 last term.
Arteta wants to add further depth to his attacking options with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Reiss Nelson his main options in attacking midfield.
Diaby is likely to cost in-excess of £50million, but the Gunners will face competition for the former PSG star’s signature with Manchester United, Newcastle and Real Madrid all linked with the exciting attacker.
Wilfried Zaha is out of contract at the end of the season and is also a consideration for Arsenal, but they want to pursue a move for Diaby before exploring a potential free transfer for the Crystal Palace star.
Their expected move to sign a new forward is set to be fuelled by the expected departure of…