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Arsenal are pressing ahead with their summer transfer plans despite Monchi rejecting the chance to become their technical director, per the London Evening Standard.

The highly-rated transfer specialist chose to return to former club Sevilla from Roma instead of moving to the Gunners.

What’s the word?

Arsenal have been searching for a successor to the previous head of recruitment Sven Mislintat since his departure in February.

Monchi appeared to have been identified as the club’s key target but the Standard report that the Gunners are relaxed about his rejection, with their transfer plans already at an advanced stage ahead of the summer window.

Indeed, the report claims that their future planning was actually a reason for the 50-year-old turning down the project in north London.

There is, per the Standard, £40million available for Arsenal to spend in the summer; they hope to sign a centre-back and may be forced into the recruitment of a goalkeeper if David Ospina does not stay after returning from a loan spell at Napoli.

It remains to be seen if the Gunners will be able to recruit a technical director before the summer; Marc Overmars, their former winger, signed a new contract with Ajax earlier this week after being briefly linked with the role.

Arsenal have no room for error

If Arsenal are so confident about their summer transfer plans, they can ill-afford any errors.

Monchi, perhaps the outstanding candidate to come into the club in a behind-the-scenes role, has snubbed their advances because of their forward planning.

The fact that they do not appear to have much money is not likely to fill fans with confidence, particularly after a January that was spent chasing loan deals.

Denis Suarez eventually came to the Emirates but is yet to start a game.

There are obvious gaps in the squad and, as it stands, it is not clear who will be leading the charge to bring in new recruits.

One thing is crystal, however; Arsenal simply can’t get this summer wrong.