Mikel Arteta recognises the four positions he needs to reinforce during the transfer window

Mikel Arteta recognises the four positions he needs to reinforce during the transfer window

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta purportedly needs to sign one defender, a midfielder, a right-back and a replacement striker if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Alexandre Lacazette were to leave the Emirates summer.

The coronavirus emergency is probably going to influence transfer business for all clubs given the monstrous drop in income without any games played since mid-March.

Gunners are still expected to be occupied this summer, however their financial plan for signings will be directed by whether they can fit the bill for European competition or not.

Arsenal will continue their Premier League campaign this month in ninth spot, eight points behind Chelsea who stays at fourth spot.

As indicated by Goal, the Spaniard has recognised four key situations in his squad he needs to fortify, with Atletico Madrid’s box to-box midfielder Thomas Partey a top need.

The Ghana International has been emphatically connected with a move to the Emirates in the wake of verging on joining the north London club under past ex-manager Unai Emery the previous summer.

Thomas Partey is yet to sign an extension on his present contract at Atletico and has a £44 million release clause.

Regardless of whether Arsenal don’t meet all requirements for the Champions League, they could at present move for the 26-year-old and view a trade deal including Alexandre Lacazette as a potential alternative.

Including another defender is also in the plan and club scouts have watched Reims’ Axel Disasi, who could be accessible for around £13m.

Mikel Arteta also needs another right-back to challenge Hector Bellerin, but the club are probably going to be priced out of a transfer for Norwich City’s Max Aarons and may need to concentrate on signing Cedric Soares’ loan move from Southampton permanent.

MORE:Transfer News: Chelsea would have to pay £20m to sign Aubameyang this summer 

Furthermore, if star strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Lacazette were to leave, Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard and Genk’s Jonathan David are being arranged as potential replacements.

Nonetheless, if the Gunners fail to fit the bill for Europe without precedent for a long time, trade deals, loans and ease moves could well be the thing to get done for the club.