Arsenal: A case for writing a blank check for Ousmane Dembele

Arsenal are in the market for wide players in the January transfer window. Where better to aim than one of the brightest young stars in football? Ousmane Dembele would look very good at the Emirates indeed.

Arsenal failed to invest in wingers in the summer transfer window. Their neglect of the position is evident in their attacking play this season.

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At the end of the summer, the club reportedly bid for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele. The bid fell through as Barcelona stated Dembele would play a big part for the club in the upcoming season. Four months later, Dembele, though shining on the pitch, has gone through multiple disciplinary violations for the Catalan-based club.

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If Unai Emery truly aims to get back in the Champions League next season, he and the club must invest in their obvious weaknesses. The north London outfit spent the summer investing in cheaper, high-potential options like Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi. Now it is time to invest in truly game-breaking talent.

Dembele is one of the best players in the world, let alone one of the best young players in the world. There is a reason Barcelona paid Dortmund over 100 million euros for him. Any fee Arsenal pay for him would likely be around that amount. Normally, I would argue that they should look to invest that type of money into multiple areas of the squad, especially given the weakness that is the defence. However, the Gunners may never have a better opportunity to get a player with the potential to be a true world star.

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As previously mentioned, Dembele has had multiple disciplinary violations at Barcelona and, until recently, struggled to maintain a spot in the starting XI. It is obvious Dembele and his manager, Ernesto Valverde, don’t see eye to eye, and rumours of Dembele’s exit have continued since the summer. The current and clear disconnect between club and player could drive down any transfer fee that would have to be paid by any potential suitor.

Furthermore, Dembele’s connection to current Arsenal members is very apparent. He is best friends with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, close with his former Dortmund teammates Sokratis and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, as well as fellow Frenchmen Alexandre Lacazette and Matteo Guendouzi, and was recruited to Dortmund by current Head of Scouting in north London, Sven Mislintat.

Any transfer of this magnitude is highly unlikely given the player’s talent, especially in the January window. However, Arsenal will most likely not be presented with an opportunity like this in the future. Should Dembele continue to perform on the pitch at Barcelona, the club will definitely not sell him. But with Dembele still not a definitive cornerstone of the squad, now is the time to pounce.

The stars may not be perfectly aligned, but they are close enough to take a shot. It is time for Emery, Mislintat and the executives at London Colney to spend as if they belong in the Champions League. If they don’t, the club will continue to fall behind their rivals.