Arsenal set Mikel Arteta’s summer spending budget in fresh bid for Premier League title

Arsenal want to sign Declan Rice from West Ham and are also targeting a forward and a defender

Mikel Arteta will have a budget of over £150m for the summer, through club funds and sales, as the Arsenal manager seeks to further hone his squad for another Premier League title challenge.

Arteta’s priority is a midfielder, with West Ham United's Declan Rice the main target, but the manager is also looking for a forward who can move into the centre, and a defender. Those arrivals will be complemented by sales, with Arsenal willing to listen to offers for Kieran Tierney, Reiss Nelson, Falorin Balogun, Nuno Tavares and Nicolas Pepe.

Arteta believes Arsenal have pushed themselves to the limit this season, but that the exacting nature of the title challenge has given him further insight into where his squad is short. Of particular note has been how the team have adapted to certain absences, with William Saliba's recent injury proving so crucial.

The club have seen a much higher level of potential signing express interest in the last few months, with executives stating what a contrast it is to even two years ago. Whereas Arsenal struggled to attract a much lower profile of target then, they now have representatives of players in the highest bracket coming to them. Their return to the Champions League next season has greatly helped, but so has the image of the club as one of the most exciting teams in Europe.

Arteta and the club board are still intent on being highly strategic, and will not spend huge fees for the sake of it. Rice is a key target, but Arsenal may revive interest in Brighton's Moises Caicedo, with Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby and Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi among players they are also looking at.