Arsenal will strengthen its squad before the summer transfer window shuts, manager Mikel Arteta said Saturday, vowing the Premier League champions will not "sit still."
The Gunners have been relatively quiet in the market compared to big-spending rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Chelsea, but the north London side have been linked with moves for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior.
While Arteta would not be drawn on Arsenal's reported pursuit of the pair, he told reporters Saturday that the club were determined to "improve and evolve" the squad.
"We expect to have movements in the next few weeks, obviously," the Spaniard added, speaking after a 4-1 preseason win over Girona.
"We want to get better like anybody else and you just can see the transfer market and our opponents, what we are doing. We won't sit still and we are very ambitious with what we are doing," he added.
"The margins are very small. Because we want to get better and the level is going to increase. We need to increase the competition internally. We need to make sure we identify the things that we don't have in the team," said Arteta.
Arsenal have so far signed goalkeeper Illan Meslier and forward Christos Tzolis, while defender Piero Hincapie has joined permanently after spending the last season at the Emirates on loan.
Arteta's comments come amid reports that the Premier League champions were exploring a shock deal to sign Vinicius from Real Madrid.
The Press Association reported that Arsenal inquired about the Brazil international, who has one year remaining on his contract at the Bernabeu.
It is believed that a move for Vinicius – who scored 22 times for Real last season and netted four goals for Brazil at the World Cup – is in its very formative stages as manager Arteta looks to land a marquee signing to build on the club’s first Premier League title in more than two decades.
Vinicius, 26, fits that bill, with Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande and Bradley Barcola of Paris Saint-Germain also on their radar.
Arsenal bolstered their attacking options with the 34 million pounds ($45.3 million) signing of Tzolis from Club Brugge earlier this week.
Morgan Rogers had also been identified as a target, but it is believed Arsenal were not prepared to pay more than 80 million pounds for the England international, who ultimately joined Chelsea in a 117 million pound deal – a British record fee.
Vinicius’ future at Real is uncertain following Jose Mourinho's return and the club could look to cash in on the player, rather than risk losing him for nothing in a year's time.
Mourinho, who has signed a three-year deal at the Bernabeu, was criticized for comments he made after Vinicius accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him during a Champions League tie in February.
Mourinho, Benfica manager at the time, said "something happens, always" in matches where Vinicius plays. Prestianni was banned for six matches after he admitted to using homophobic language toward Vinicius.
Tzolis followed Piero Hincapie – who turned his temporary deal with Arsenal into a full-time switch – and goalkeeper Illan Meslier, a free signing from Leeds, as the Gunners’ third signing.
Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes could also move to the Emirates with Arsenal keen on the Brazil international.
Speaking after Newcastle’s 1-1 pre-season draw at Gateshead Saturday, manager Eddie Howe said: "We don’t want to lose our best players.
"I’ve spoken to him (Guimaraes) as I would do. Bruno is just a fantastic person. We’ve had some really good conversations, both before the World Cup, during the World Cup and after the World Cup.
"I don’t know what’s going to happen with Bruno’s future. That’s for other people to, one, speculate about, but also conversations that I’m not part of."
