By Toby Cudworth
With Euro 2024 set to dominate our lives for the next month, Arsenal's scouting team will undoubtedly have their assignments set as Mikel Arteta and Edu look to launch another Premier League title offensive next season.
The Gunners fell agonisingly short last season in their quest for a first Premier League crown since 2004, but did at least prove that their resurgence under Arteta is no flash in the pan.
The Spaniard has developed some of Arsenal's players into the finest the Premier League has to offer, though there's still work to do as the club look to bulk their squad out in order to topple the juggernaut that is Manchester City.
A number of Arsenal's transfer targets are already out in the public domain, but this summer could represent an opportunity to take a look at some other top drawer stars. Here's six the Gunners could pay particular attention to...
1. Joao Neves
Country: Portugal
Club: Benfica
Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware that teenager Joao Neves is one of the hottest prospects in world football.
Manchester United have been heavily linked, needing to plug the gaping holes in their midfield, but Arsenal have also been mentioned in dispatches - an indication that Mikel Arteta wants to add more steel in the middle of the park.
"He is an excellent player, that’s also why the big clubs are after him," international teammate Diogo Jota recently proclaimed, and he's absolute spot on. Neves looks to be generational and his performances must be watched closely by Arsenal's scouting team.
2. Martin Zubimendi
Country: Spain
Club: Real Sociedad
Eyes should also be on long-term target Martin Zubimendi, who the Gunners already know plenty about.
Sure, the Real Sociedad anchor won't tell Arsenal anything they don't already know in terms of his skillset, but the opportunity to perform for Spain on one of the biggest stages in the men's game could give a real insight into his mentality.
Arteta wants to sign winners with plenty of courage - what better way for Zubimendi to get his attention than to star in the middle of the park alongside Rodri?
3. Lois Openda
Country: Belgium
Club: RB Leipzig
After missing out on Benjamin Sesko - he's decided to stick around at RB Leipzig for another season - it's back to the drawing board for Arsenal in terms of striker targets.
Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen and Alexander Isak aren't in action this summer, while Ivan Toney isn't likely to get many minutes under his belt playing for England. So who else is there? Ironically, it could be another RB Leipzig player that steals some of the Euro 2024 headlines, should Romelu Lukaku decide that somebody else is allowed to score a tournament goal for Belgium.
Lois Openda scored 28 goals in his first season in Germany, following on from a 21-goal haul at Lens, and he's quickly becoming one of the continent's most lethal finishers.
4. Artem Dovbyk
Country: Ukraine
Club: Girona
Openda's style of play is completely different to Artem Dovbyk, but that's not to say that Arsenal and Arteta aren't open to bringing in another target man striker.
Kai Havertz has done really well in a false nine role, imposing himself against some of the Premier League's best defenders, but needs support from another centre forward who knows how to find the back of the net.
Dovbyk scored 24 goals in his first season with Girona, propelling the club into the Champions League, and could be one to watch as Ukraine look to spring a surprise or two.
5. Giorgi Mamardashvili
Country: Georgia
Club: Valencia
With Aaron Ramsdale chomping at the bit to play regular first-team football, Arsenal may be forced to dip into the goalkeeper market in order to provide some competition for David Raya.
A number of top keepers will be strutting their stuff at Euro 2024, but few may have the skills and affordability of Valencia's Giorgi Mamardashvili. Valued at around £30m by Valencia, the 23-year-old could be exactly what the Gunners need - largely because he'll be a genuine contender to take Raya's place in goal.
6. Milos Kerkez
Country: Hungary
Club: Bournemouth
Arsenal's intention to clear out a number of peripheral left-sided options is well known - Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney and Jakub Kiwior would probably all be allowed to leave if it didn't leave Arteta short of personnel.
The club's scouting team will be looking for young, mouldable talent at Euro 2024, and few left-backs appear to have a higher potential ceiling than Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez.
Already a rumoured target for Manchester United, the 20-year-old really impressed in his first season as a Premier League player, and probably wouldn't break the bank if Arsenal made a move post-Euros before he really hits his stride.
Importantly, he's more than capable of playing further forward - potentially fulfilling the inverted full-back/wing-back role that Arteta loves.
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as 6 players Arsenal should scout at Euro 2024.
