Arsenal 'don't expect' Rice-level move this year

Mikel Arteta said Arsenal “don’t expect” to make another big-money signing like Declan Rice this summer, after the Gunners broke their transfer record last July with a £105 million deal to land the England international.

Arsenal made their first significant move of the current transfer window on Monday after Riccardo Calafiori completed a £42 million move from Bologna and joined up with his new teammates in Philadelphia ahead of the final match of their U.S. preseason tour against Liverpool.

When asked if the Gunners were capable of following that up with another Rice-style acquisition, Arteta said: “We don’t expect to do anything like it. That’s the reality. We have to wait and see the movements in the market. We have already identified the things that we can improve.

“We had the meetings in February, March, April. So if we can, we will strengthen the team. So far I’m really happy with what we have.”

Arteta also said the players still on holiday following their involvement in the Euro 2024 final — Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale, Rice and David Raya — will join up with the squad “at the end of the week” when Arsenal are due to return to the UK.

Pushed on whether that quartet would be ready to feature in the club’s opening Premier League game against Wolves on Aug. 17, Arteta said: “I’m very confident because when I spoke to them, they really wanted to be part of it as quick as possible.

“They’re ready to go, not to prepare, but to go straight away when they join. That’s different.”