Arsenal: Starting XI with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Arsenal are seemingly nearing the potential signings of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as replacements for Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud. Here is how the Gunners’ starting XI could look with them in the squad.

With Theo Walcott arriving on Merseyside to complete his medical, Alexis Sanchez inching towards a move to Manchester United, and Olivier Giroud now offered to Borussia Dortmund, there is an attacking revolution taking place at Arsenal. That is, if they can complete their own endeavours.

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The endeavours that I refer to centre on former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan and current Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Do not underestimate the influence of Head of Recruitment Sven Mislintat, who was hired from Dortmund earlier this season.

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There have also been reports raising names like Malcom at Bordeaux and Anthony Martial at Manchester United, though the trail has cooled a little. In fact, the most prominent narrative currently is the remarkable Giroud-plus-£35-million offer that Arsenal have allegedly made for Auabameyang. It is an astonishing deal that would be brilliant for the club if they could force it through. Pairing it with the impending Mkhitaryan-Sanchez swap, and Arsene Wenger suddenly has a whole myriad of new toys to play with. So how will he choose to set up after all this change, assuming that it does indeed happen?

Well, in the current 3-4-3 formation that Wenger has been employing, there is only really room for three attacking players. With Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette already either entrenched or still adapting from a recent club-record transfer in the squad and unlikely to depart anytime soon, it is difficult to see how Wenger replaces either with any new signing.

That suggests to me a shift in formation. Wenger has said in the past that he likes to shift to a back-four-based system, usually a 4-2-3-1-type shape, because he can field another attacker. Well with these players, that thinking makes absolute sense.

When all his players are fit, Wenger very well play a front three of Mkhitaryan, Lacazette and Aubameyang, all supported by a centralised Ozil. That is a salivating prospect; it would be an attack to rival the very best the Premier League has to offer.

It would also ease the pressure on the midfield two, likely to be Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey or Jack Wilshere, who can sit a little deeper knowing that there is a lesser attacking onus on them, as well as protecting an often vulnerable back four thanks to the threat that they pose — attack is the best form of defence, after all.

Next: Arsenal: 3 players who benefit from transfer window changes

That is an extremely exciting team, one that I would love to see start regularly at the Emirates. It seems a little too good to be true. I just wonder Arsenal will muck all of this up…