Arsenal will aim to conclude early transfer business this summer amid concerns they could be priced out of the market during Euro 2020.
The Gunners had a relatively quiet January window, signing defenders Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares — with a view to strengthening the squad more significantly in the summer.
Mikel Arteta’s side are prioritising a box-to-box midfielder, a central defender and a creative central midfielder.
Feyenoord teenager Orkun Kokcu — the Dutch-born Turkey Under 21 midfielder — is among the players they are monitoring.
And work has already started behind the scenes on trying to strike early deals for their targets.
Clubs often inflate prices for players who perform well at international tournaments and Arsenal do not want to see their moves for the players jeopardised because of this.
The future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will also come into question this summer, as he enters the final 12 months of his deal at the Emirates Stadium. The Arsenal captain was linked with Barcelona last month — and Eric Abidal, sporting director of the Catalan club, said yesterday: ‘I know Aubameyang. He is important and, in his team, he is decisive. It is logical that, in the summer, a “nine” will come. We know that Luis Suarez will come back strong (from a knee injury), but you have to bring a top player in the summer.
‘There is a list with players like Olivier Giroud, Fernando Llorente or Aubameyang but we decided not to sign someone in January.’