Arsenal expected to make more transfer moves before Premier League title defence, says Arteta

Arsenal will continue to strengthen their squad before the summer transfer window closes, with manager Mikel Arteta insisting the club will not “sit still” as they prepare to defend their first Premier League title in 22 years.

The Gunners have been relatively quiet in the transfer market compared to some of their major rivals, including Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Chelsea, but the north London club remain active behind the scenes.

Arsenal have been linked with ambitious moves for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr, although Arteta refused to comment directly on the club’s reported interest in either player.

Speaking after Arsenal’s 4-1 pre-season victory over Girona, the Spanish manager confirmed that further changes to the squad are expected in the coming weeks.

“We expect to have movements in the next few weeks, obviously,” Arteta told reporters. “We want to get better like anybody else, and you can see the transfer market and what our opponents are doing. We won’t sit still, and we are very ambitious with what we are doing.”

Arteta highlighted the importance of improving the squad as competition continues to increase across the league.

“The margins are very small. We want to get better and the level is going to increase. We need to increase the competition internally and make sure we identify the things that we don’t have in the team.”

So far this summer, Arsenal transfers have included the arrivals of goalkeeper Illan Meslier and forward Christos Tzolis, while defender Piero Hincapie has completed a permanent move after spending last season on loan at the Emirates Stadium.

With their squad rebuild continuing, Arsenal will begin their Premier League title defence at home against newly promoted Coventry City on August 21, as Arteta looks to build a team capable of remaining at the top of English football.