It’s all change at Arsenal with Arsene Wenger leaving after 22 years, and Unai Emery the man chosen to replace him. However, many sources report the new coach will be given only £50 million to spend on new recruits at the club. Whether this is true or not, the Arsenal board do not have the spending firepower of the two Manchester clubs. The club will have to be savvy in the upcoming window to transform the club back into top four contenders. Here are some potential signings, in various positions, that would provide the Gunners with the quality needed to compete next season.
Goalkeepers:
Petr Cech had another disappointing season last year, with the legendary keeper’s standards slipping season on season, whilst David Ospina appears to have lost all confidence and probably needs to leave the club to reignite his career.
Bernd Leno
A reliable shot-stopper for many years at Bayer Leverkusen. The German kept 10 clean sheets in 33 games in the Bundesliga last season conceding 40 goals, at a rate of 1.21 per 90 mins, compared to 1.41 per 90 for Cech. At 26, Leno is yet to reach his full potential and would be solid signing for the North London Club. A figure between £25-30 million is a relatively good value option for a consistent keeper and represents a good alternative to the pricier options such as Alisson and Jan Oblak.
Mattia Perin
Despite only 1 international cap to his name, Mattia Perin offers a safe pair of hands in the net. Playing all but one game in Serie A last year, Perin kept 12 clean sheets, conceding 42 goals at a rate of 1.14 goals per 90, despite playing for 12th placed Genoa. The lure of a big club like Arsenal could turn Perin’s head, and with his contract expiring in 2019, Genoa may be willing to cash in on their prized asset. A fee of £20 million would provide value for the Gunners as he is only 25.
Other alternatives: Jack Butland (Stoke), Alphonse Areola (PSG), Sergio Rico (Sevilla)
Right Back:
Hector Bellerin flew onto the scene in late 2014, stepping in for the injured Mathieu Debuchy, and never appeared to look back, making the PFA team of the year in 2015/2016, but his progress has stalled somewhat since suffering from a lack of competition due to Debuchy’s decline and Chambers’ indifferent form. Bellerin’s talent is clear, and needs some competition for his place, and the occasional rest, to get back on track.
Stephan Lichtsteiner:
Lichtsteiner became a free agent in the summer having been released by Juventus but the 34-year-old still made 21 starts for the club in Serie A last season showing he can still cut it at elite level. The arrival of Lichtsteiner would represent a short-term solution but his reliable performances would provide the motivation for Bellerin to cut out his mistakes since there would be a genuine alternative in the squad for Unai emery to choose. His experience, leadership and winning mentality are all qualities Arsenal crave both on and off the pitch. A very astute signing, with the only issue likely to be the guarantee of playing time.
Matthew Lowton:
A crucial figure in Burnley’s team last year, playing 26 games, the right back provides both defensive stability and attacking threat with 3 assists. The Englishman at 28 represents a relatively experienced full back who has played at Premier League level for several years with both Villa and Burnley, dealing with some of the league’s trickiest wingers. Sean Dyche is likely to be reluctant to let go of Lowton, but like Ings and Keane, could be lured away for the right price. The player would likely move for £5-8 million with relatively low wages compared to Lichtsteiner.
Other alternatives: Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Cedric Soares (Southampton), Ignazio Abate (Milan)
Centre Back
Centre Back is the key issue for the Gunners. Mertesacker’s retirement, Koscielny’s injury problems and decline, Mustafi’s consistent errors, and a lack of quality from Chambers and Holding provides Arsenal with a headache. At least one centre half if not two are needed to shore up Arsenal’s leaky back line.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos
The Greek international would represent the third former Dortmund player recruited by the club since Sven Mislintat’s arrival at the Emirates. Sokratis has been a mainstay in the Dortmund defence since his arrival in 2013, even making the Bundesliga team of the season in his maiden campaign, showing his ability to adapt to a new league. He won 68% of his individuals duels last season, 4th highest in the German top flight. With only 1 year left on his current contract, and at the age of 29, the defender offers a short-medium term solution to the team’s defensive problems, but at just under £20 million represents good value for money for a position Arsenal need so desperately.
Kalidou Koulibaly
Arguably the most ambitious potential signing on the list, the Senegalese international has experienced 4 superb years at Napoli, consistently proving to be one of the best defenders in Serie A. He is both strong, tall and quick meaning he can defend on the front foot and atone for errors quickly. According to expected goals, Napoli had a better defence than Juventus last season, much down to Koulibaly. After narrowly missing out on the Scudetto this year, he may feel it’s the time to move onto a new challenge. At 26, and with 3 years left on his contract he could cost £50+ million but would be a worthwhile investment for the weakest area of Arsenal’s squad.
Other alternatives: Konstantinos Manolas (Roma), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen), Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax)
Defensive Midfield
Continually talked about by pundits and fans alike, Arsenal have been crying out for a ball-winning, tough tackling midfielder in the middle of the park since the departure of Patrick Vieira. Francis Coquelin had a good season but fell out of form and Granit Xhaka is clearly not the man for the role, with his defensive awareness and concentration continually questioned.
Steven Nzonzi
The former Stoke man has been a revelation at Sevilla, since joining in 2015, and has been a vital part of an exciting outfit. He provides a good balance for the team linking attack and defence, retrieving possession with 1.4 tackles and 1 interception per 90 mins, then spraying the ball into his fellow midfielders with an accuracy of 88%. His time at Stoke shows he has the grit, and his Man of the Match performance against Manchester United in the Champions League demonstrates his class to dictate the game from deep. At 29, a move this summer may be his last chance to win some major silverware, and having played under Unai Emery, Arsenal may hope to tempt him to the Emirates for a fee around £25-30 million.
Lucas Torreira
The 22-year-old from Sampdoria has had a real breakout season in Serie A this season. The Uruguayan puts up impressive numbers; 2.8 tackles, 2 interceptions and 0.9 clearances per games, considerably better than Xhaka and Nzonzi, and scored 4 goals. With a release clause of £22 million, the deal represents a low risk, and with Torreira playing for Uruguay at the world cup, Arsenal should get the business done early.
Other alternatives: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Leandro Paredes (Zenit), William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon)
Winger
Despite Arsenal’s wealth of attacking talent, they lack genuine wide players. Alex Iwobi is the only natural winger in the squad after the departure of Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain last season. Arsenal need a player willing to use his pace and dribbling abilities to commit men, to create space during games where the opposition sit back in a low block.
Ousmane Dembele
The Barcelona man suffered a difficult first season with the Catalan side. Moving for a club record fee from Borussia Dortmund, he picked up a serious injury after only a few games leaving him side-lined for months. After coming back from injury, the Frenchman found it difficult to break back into the side due to Valverde’s systems and a lack of match fitness. With Antoine Griezmann reportedly heading to the Camp Nou this summer, a loan deal of 1 or 2 years would suit all parties. Barcelona do not want to lose a valuable asset permanently, Arsenal need a winger of his form, but could probably not afford to buy one of the quality required, and Dembele will want continual game time to develop and to keep his place in an incredibly competitive France squad. The deal would represent a sensible and shrewd piece of business by the North London club.
Other Alternatives: Willian (Chelsea), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Felipe Anderson (Lazio)
If Arsenal were to sign Perin, Lichtsteiner, Sokratis and Torreira as well as Dembele on loan, this would greatly enhance their squad for a total of around £60-70 million, slightly above the budget reportedly given to Emery. These quality additions alongside Emery’s fresh approach should see Arsenal challenge again for the top 4 and Europa League next season.
