Mikel Arteta's new Arsenal starting line-up after '£70m double transfer raid'

Arsenal are planning to continue their summer spending spree with another two impressive additions this week as Mikel Arteta tries to improve on last season's fifth-place finish.

Although the Gunners were pipped to a Champions League spot on the final day, it was a much-improved campaign during which they began to look back to their best after a miserable 2020/21 term. They finished on 69 points, which would have guaranteed them a top-four place in each of the previous two campaigns.

Arteta is hoping to push on and has already completed two signings, with Marquinhos arriving from Sao Paulo and Fabio Vieira set to join the Gunners from Porto for a fee in the region of £35million. Both are under the age of 23 and suit the profile of player Arteta is looking for.

Now, Arsenal are ready to spend around £70m on two more recruits, with Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus and Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez at the top of their shopping list. The Gunners have already seen a £35m bid rejected for Jesus, while Martinez is attracted to Arteta's project.

If the Gunners manage to get both of those deals over the line, they will no doubt be stronger on paper ahead of the upcoming season. So, with that in mind, here is a look at how Arsenal might line-up next term.

Goalkeeper - Ramsdale

In goal, Aaron Ramsdale is set to keep his place as Gunners No.1 after an impressive debut campaign in North London. Bernd Leno has been linked with a move away from the club while Matt Turner is expected to complete his move from his native United States to become Arsenal's new back-up 'keeper.

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Defence - Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney

Having shone at right-back during his first season at the Emirates Stadium, Takehiro Tomiyasu is expected to keep his starting place with Cedric as his back-up. Potential new signing Lisandro Martinez will push Ben White and Gabriel all the way for the two centre-back positions, although the Argentine may have to bide his time.

The same is true for William Saliba, who will return to the Gunners for pre-season after an excellent season-long at Marseille, where he was named the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year. At left-back, Kieran Tierney is likely to start with Nuno Tavares waiting in the wings for his opportunity.

Midfield - Vieira, Partey, Odegaard

Arteta often used a 4-2-3-1 system last season but could move to a more traditional 4-3-3 approach following Vieira's arrival from Porto. The talented Portuguese international is a box-to-box midfielder who likes to break into the box and score goals - something the Gunners lacked in 2021/22.

With Thomas Partey likely to be the deepest of the three in midfield, Viera and Martin Odegaard would operate as two No.8s and offer support to the front men. This would leave Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga on the bench but the duo will get plenty of minutes with Arsenal in Europe this term.

Attack - Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

In attack, Bukayo Saka is the first name on the Arsenal team sheet these days. The 20-year-old scored 11 goals and provided seven assists last season and can play either on the left or the right of a front three.

Despite signing a new five-year contract on Saturday, Eddie Nketiah would miss out on Arsenal's first-choice side if Jesus moves from City after the Brazilian helped Pep Guardiola's side to their fourth Premier League title in five seasons. Emile Smith Rowe will battle Gabriel Martinelli for the left-wing slot, although it is the latter who impressed most towards the back end of last term.