Arsenal in battle for striker pair as Arteta makes personal call

Arsenal suffered another near miss domestically but remain hungry to land the Premier League title - with recruitment set to aid their ambitions again.

Mikel Arteta has been well backed by the Emirates hierarchy and they're ready to invest further in the playing squad. Several areas have been identified with a new striker firmly on their shopping list. A new left-back is also likely as is a central midfielder.

Arsenal bought Gabriel Jesus two years ago but he's been unable to score with any great regularity. Last summer's capture Kai Havertz, after a slow start, came good but isn't a permanent solution to their frustrations in the final third.

Here's the latest from north London...

Forward duo have admirers

Serhou Guirassy and Jonathan David are two of the frontmen being touted with a move to Arsenal, who are looking to bolster their forward ranks this summer. The Gunners played with Havertz as a false 9 in the final weeks of the campaign as doubts continued over Jesus' ability to score prolifically.

Guirassy, 28, is set to leave Stuttgart after a fantastic season in which he scored 28 Bundesliga goals. Arsenal could face competition as he is wanted by Borussia Dortmund and could be available for just £20million due to his contractual status.

Lille's David has continued to see his stock rise in France and he is attracting interest from Saudi Arabian side Al-Alhi, while Chelsea have also enquired about him. The Ligue 1 outfit are likely to seek £30m for the Canadian.

Arteta makes call to seal deal

Arteta has personally called Mikel Merino to sell the idea of joining Arsenal, according to reports in Spain. The player's Real Sociedad contract expires next summer and he could be available for a little over £21m. The 28-year-old midfielder is currently playing for Spain at the Euros.

The Arsenal boss though has already reached out as he seeks to get ahead of Barcelona in the race for his signature. Fellow Sociedad colleague Martin Zubimendi has also been heavily linked with both Arsenal and the Catalans with the Spanish club seeking to retain their top stars.

Gunners urged to pursue Neto

Arsenal icon David Seaman wants his former club to make a move for Wolves star Pedro Neto, who he believes is a "special player". The winger is currently away with Portugal on Euros duty but has been linked with a switch away from Molineux on several occasions - and Seaman believes he can further add to their depth.

"I’ve enjoyed watching Pedro Neto play for Portugal in this tournament and I would take him at Arsenal all day long," he told Betway. "He’s a perfect fit as a back-up for Saka, he’s creative and he would put pressure on other players in the squad as well.

"I think he’s a really good player. I think the fee to get him would be decent, but not massive as it would reflect his injury problems. When you see him on the pitch, he’s special."