Arteta sets clear target for Arsenal stars after £260million spending spree

Arsenal are set to push their spending beyond the £260million barrier as they look to complete a move for Eberechi Eze this weekend - and Mikel Arteta has sent a warning to his players

Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal’s mega summer spending spree underlines their ambition to win the biggest trophies this season. Arsenal are set to push their spending beyond the £260million barrier as they look to complete a move for Eberechi Eze this weekend.

England star Eze, 27, is set to be announced after completing a medical and signing a contract in a £67.5m switch from Crystal Palace.

The club are backing Arteta to the hilt this summer and the Gunners boss admits it shows how determined they are to win the title and push for the Champions League.

Arteta said: “I think we are showing the ambition that we want to do, that we are here to win major trophies, to keep evolving and improving every single year. And that's going to come with demands, and those demands are clear.

“It actually shows the ambition of the club, the ambition of the ownership and the ambition of the board, the players, the manager and we all want more.

“It's our competitors, what we're doing, where the league is going. And we're going to be in front, not just chasing or acting or behind. We just want to be in front of it, and every decision that we make in every area of the club is to try to achieve that.”

Arteta says that Arsenal now have “big smiles” on their faces and, while he would not talk directly about Eze until his deal is completed, he admitted that signing players who want to come is the “number one” objective.

Boyhood Arsenal fan Eze snubbed Tottenham to join the Gunners and Arteta even hinted there could be more activity although he did suggest they may have to offload some players.

Arteta added: “I think we are all with big smiles on our faces understanding that we have done really well but the market is not closed and we have to stay very alert because there are a lot of things that can happen still. But so far so good.

“That's number one, that they want to be with us, that they feel something special to come to us. Then the person and our personality we're going to bring, and then the rest comes.

“I think we've done that very, very well in the last few years to create a group of players and the spirit in the team.”