At a Glance:
- Arsenal are already making transfer plans ahead of the summer window.
- The Gunners have identified a top European forward as a target.
- Liverpool now want to sign the player in question as a replacement for Mohamed Salah.
Arsenal may be embroiled in an intense Premier League title race, but sporting director Andrea Berta has already set out summer transfer plans – and his pursuit of one specific target may just have become significantly more complicated because of Mohamed Salah’s decision to leave Liverpool.
The Gunners spent in excess of £250 million on eight new recruits last summer, deepening Mikel Arteta’s squad significantly. This aggressive approach in the market has paid dividends, as the North Londoners now sit nine points clear at the summit of the English top flight.
However, Berta and Arteta aren’t prepared to rest on their laurels. They’re already weighing up potential moves for the upcoming window, with the likes of Julian Alvarez, Sandro Tonali and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all heavily linked with a switch to the Emirates.
— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) March 24, 2026
Liverpool eye Arsenal target as Mo Salah replacement
Salah announced on Tuesday evening that his time at Liverpool will come to an end when the current season concludes. The Egyptian has been a pivotal figure at Anfield for almost a decade, and thus, adequately replacing him is unsurprisingly a top priority for the Merseyside club’s hierarchy.
According to RMC Sport, Bayer Munich winger Michael Olise has been identified as the primary candidate to succeed Salah at Liverpool. The Frenchman has enjoyed an outstanding season for the German giants, netting 19 goals and providing 25 assists across all competitions thus far.
This form has prompted interest from a host of top clubs across Europe, with RMC suggesting that Arsenal, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are among those who have made Olise a priority target.
Liverpool have now entered the race following the Salah news, and believe they have a strong chance of landing the 24-year-old as they can sell the idea of him being the replacement for one of the Premier League’s greatest players. That said, Bayern remain in a strong position as the player still has three years remaining on his contract and they have no intention to sell.
Olise joined Bayern for £50 million in the summer of 2024 from Crystal Palace. Given how his pedigree has risen since this move, the Bundesliga champions would likely demand at least double that fee to even consider cashing in.
Should Arsenal chase Michael Olise this summer?
Olise’s numbers speak for themselves; he is one of the most potent and productive forwards in world football right now. There’s no doubting that he’d add tremendous value to Arteta’s squad.
That said, the France international predominantly operates off the right, where Arsenal already have Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke at their disposal. The Gunners have just given Saka a lucrative new contract, while they invested £52 million in Madueke last summer.
Thus, it would be a strange decision to spend big money on Olise. They have more pressing concerns, like signing a prolific striker and a more productive left-winger, and they should therefore allocate resources to these areas of their squad.
Olise would be a luxury addition for Arsenal, but they cannot afford to spend all summer fighting other clubs for his signature when they have other work to do.
