Arsenal's season is going well, but the perfectionist in Mikel Arteta has suggested that the Spanish manager will continue to tinker away at his side as he targets success in the Premier League and Champions League.
Now with a foothold around the forefront of the game, the Gunners are expected to compete for the league title and, having returned to Europe's elite club competition will be hoping to dig deep into the tournament.
This is all well and good, but Arteta will hope to cement a position of power for many, many years, and to do so, there are indeed a few moves that might need to be made.
Arsenal transfer news – Marc Guehi
According to The Sun, the Emirates Stadium club are hoping to sign Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi in 2024 as Arteta looks to upgrade the backline, though any deal will not occur until the end of the campaign.
Indeed, the Eagles are simply intransigent in their stance, and will not permit the Englishman's sale at the term's midpoint, though this is something that the Arsenal manager is believed to be okay with, though whether they meet the valuation in excess of £50m is another question.
Manchester City are also hot on Guehi's heels, with Manchester United keen and Chelsea eager to reclaim his signature after selling him to Palace for £18m in 2021.
Marc Guehi's style of play
Swiftly asserting himself as one of the Premier League's most impressive rising centre-halfs, Guehi, aged 23, has now made 93 appearances for the Selhurst Park side, scoring five goals.
The £50k-per-week machine ranks among the top 15% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, and he has been described as an "absolute tank" by goalkeeper and former England U21 teammate Josef Bursik.
Given the player's characteristics, he would be an apt fit for an Arsenal backline that is expected to effectively contribute to attacking moves, progressing the play, while also standing firm and imperious in its defensive duties.
Likes to dribble
Likes to play long through balls
Plays the ball off the ground often
Information via WhoScored.
He is developing into a remarkable defender, with the seven-cap Englishman completing 90% of his passes, averaging 5.1 ball recoveries and 4.6 clearances per game and winning a staggering 70% of his ground duels across nine outings in the Premier League this year, as per Sofascore.
Rice repeat in north London
With Manchester City also reported to be among the suitors for the England international, Arteta would do well to secure his signature against such a formidable force.
But it's not exactly like the Gunners haven't had their share of transfer success against the Etihad Stadium side of late, with Declan Rice joining in a £105m transfer in July after rife speculation surrounding his future, ultimately joining Arsenal despite the Sky Blues' vested attention.
The England international was the lynchpin in the middle for West Ham United since making his professional debut with the club and saw his rise align with the club's, culminating in triumph in the Europa Conference League final in June, Rice's final match for the Irons.
Guehi could now emulate his compatriot next year and join the fold at Arsenal, remaining in the capital to earn his place in an exciting project that tantalises richer fortunes than the club has seen in an age, strengthening an impressive English spine for a side chasing gilt-edged success both domestically and in Europe.
