Arsenal have completed their first piece of business in the summer window with a £19million transfer being sealed hot off the back of Mikel Arteta’s side reaching the Champions League final
Arsenal now face the massive challenge of turning their attention back to the Premier League title race. The Gunners make the trip to West Ham United on Sunday, just days after securing their place in the Champions League final.
Mikel Arteta’s squad sit five points ahead of Manchester City, who have a game in hand on their title competitors. Arsenal gained an unexpected advantage when City were held to a draw at Everton on Monday and can move closer to claiming the crown with victory this weekend.
However, the upcoming match against West Ham arrives hot on the heels of the team’s gruelling semi-final win against Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, the Gunners have wrapped up a signing before the summer transfer window opens. Here, the Daily Star Sport looks at some of the major developments concerning Arsenal.
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Declan Rice establishes objective
Declan Rice has stressed that Arsenal cannot afford to let Man City close the gap in the Premier League standings. The 27-year-old is gearing up to take on relegation-battling West Ham, where he flourished following his release from Chelsea. Yet, he has urged the Gunners to secure victory in all their remaining fixtures to end the club’s 22-year drought for a league championship.
“That club gave me everything, without West Ham there’s no me,” Rice told Prime Video. “I honestly believe that. They gave me a chance when Chelsea didn’t.
“A lot of people there really pushed me on, (David) Moyes, (Slaven) Bilic and (Manuel) Pellegrini made me captain. There’s loads of good things about that club, so it’s not nice to see the position they’re in.
“But it’s football and I’ve got a job to do on Sunday. We’re trying to win a Premier League title, we want to win every game and I’m sure they will want to as well, so let the best team win.”
Arsenal finalise deal
Porto have confirmed that defender Jakub Kiwior has sealed a permanent switch from Arsenal.
The 26-year-old has spent the campaign on loan with the newly-crowned Portuguese champions, appearing in 38 matches across all competitions.
A Porto club statement revealed that the Arsenal loanee had been signed for an initial £14.68million, plus a further £4.32m in potential bonuses. Kiwior has penned a four-year contract with the club, which features a £60.45m buyout clause.
Should the Poland international be sold at a later date, Arsenal will pocket an additional fixed £1.73m fee. Kiwior joined the Gunners from Spezia in January 2023, turning out 68 times for the club.