Mikel Arteta hints at big spending as Arsenal eye new striker

Mikel Arteta has suggested that Arsenal are ready to spend heavily this summer in their pursuit of a new centre-forward.

According to The Independent, the Gunners have identified Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, and Benjamin Sesko as their top three targets.

One of the trio is expected to be brought in to solve the team’s struggles in front of goal.

Arteta has dropped a strong hint that the Gunners are willing to make a significant financial investment to secure their preferred option.

Arteta said: “The thing is that the budget is like when you have your wedding, you plan your wedding with your wife and you give her a budget and never less, and it’s always more.

“When you build a house it’s always more. Normally this happens. And you prepare for different scenarios. Then unfortunate things happen. Sometimes we want a player and suddenly we have an injury or that player gets injured.

“There are so many variables that can happen but there is a budget. There is always an idea of what we can do, what we can improve, what the priorities are going to be and then let’s see if we can do it.”

The Arsenal boss also responded to reports of a disagreement with sporting director Andrea Berta over which striker to sign.

He added: “Well, if that happens, that means that we cannot explain ourselves well enough, and we are not clear enough on what we want, and I guarantee you that hasn’t happened.

“It didn’t happen in five and a half years with Edu, and I guarantee you it hasn’t happened with Andrea. We have learned a lot and some of them (transfers) have worked really well and others have not.

“So we have to make sure that we make the right calls. But we are all human beings and unfortunately, nobody has got a crystal ball here.

“But Andrea is someone who is very driven, very clear in his ideas, in his vision and how we want to achieve it.”