Mikel Arteta has insisted Arsenal are “very ambitious” and “won’t sit still” in the summer transfer window, stopping short of confirming the club’s reported interest in Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior.
The 26-year-old Brazilian’s contract at Real Madrid expires next summer, and Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for him as Arteta looks to strengthen his frontline.
Speaking after Arsenal’s 4-1 pre-season victory over Girona, Arteta said the club expects movement in the coming weeks. “We are really active, trying to improve and evolve the team,” he said. “We expect to have movements in the next few weeks, obviously, because we want to get better like anybody else.”
Arteta added that small margins at the top level demand constant improvement. “We need to increase the competition internally. We need to make sure we identify the things that we don’t have in the team, to have bigger margins.”
Teenager Max Dowman, 16, caught the eye with a goal and an assist in the win. Arteta said Dowman had a really good game and that the club wants more consistency from him going forward.
