Boost for Mikel Arteta as £45m target is ‘desperate’ to join Arsenal

Mikel Arteta got his summer transfer spending underway on Wednesday when Chelsea star Kai Havertz joined Arsenal in a reported £65million move.

The Germany international could soon be joined by England star Declan Rice after the Gunners agreed a club record deal worth in excess of £105million for the West Ham United captain. After failing with two previous offers, it was a case of third-time lucky for Arteta after the Hammers finally agreed to a structured deal for the man that led them to a historic Europa Conference League Final win against Fiorentina earlier this month.

After making significant progress in landing two of his main summer transfer targets, Arteta is believed to be keen to strengthen his defensive options before the window closes at the end of August. Ajax star Jurrien Timber is believed to be the preferred option for the Gunners boss and talks are ongoing between the two clubs, with a fee in excess of £43million believed to be at the heart of discussions after an initial £30million offer was rejected last week.

Dutch outlet Telegraf have already reported Timber has reached a verbal agreement with Arsenal that will see him double his current salary if the move to the Emirates Stadium goes through over the coming weeks - and journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed the 15-times capped Netherlands international is ‘desperate’ to join the Gunners this summer.

Speaking on the ‘Here We Go’ Podcast, he said: “I can guarantee that as with Havertz and Rice, Timber is really excited about the Arsenal project, and he immediately said yes to Arsenal, there is an agreement on a five year contract and we’re just waiting on an agreement between clubs, but Jurrien Timber is very close to Arsenal.”