As we head into the summer, midfield is the area dominating the transfer focus for Arsenal with West Ham United captain Declan Rice seemingly at the top of Mikel Arteta’s list.

Granit Xhaka and Jorginho have both been linked with moves away from the club since Arsenal’s season ended, with potential moves to Germany and Italy on the cards.

Keeping both players at the club is preferable given their contributions throughout the year, but sales may signal a midfield revamp. 

Hammers skipper Rice appears to be top of the list and Arsenal have been working on the deal since their Europa Conference League success in Prague last week.

Despite rumoured fees upwards of £100 million, Rice offers Arteta reliability, leadership which will potentially be lost through Xhaka and Jorginho, defensive solidity and excellent dribbling under pressure, all at the age of just 24.

Arsenal seem to be the front runners, for the first time in recent years, and there’s no doubt Rice would be a great addition to the squad. The question will be if the Gunners can get the deal over the line before other clubs come calling.

Another frequently linked name is Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, who Arsenal went after in January. The asking price could put Caicedo’s fee in the same region as Rice which would be an eyewatering amount should Arsenal go for both players. 

Again, there is no question of quality and Caicedo offers great versatility with his ability to cover at full-back but signing both would feel like a major outlier in Arsenal’s typical transfer model.  

Should Xhaka leave, Arsenal could turn to an internal solution to fill the void, perhaps with Emile Smith Rowe or Fabio Vieira after a full pre-season to gain match sharpness and familiarity with Arteta’s demanding tactics. 

Given the added pressure of Champions League football next season, it would be a surprise not to see either of them given more game time in the ‘Xhaka role’ next season, even if it comes behind a new signing or, Xhaka himself. 

Arsenal are at a stage where it’s time to add the big players, the level raisers who can win games on their own, and that has to be reflected in this summer’s midfield transfers.