Arsenal: 3 dream summer signings

Arsenal are not known for satisfying their fans’ desires in the transfer window. Nevertheless, here are three dream summer signings that the club should pursue.

Arsenal have a squad to rebuild. From their inefficient spending in recent years to their negligence of player sales, the Gunners have continually mismanaged the transfer market. And that has left them in a bit of a state: the squad is not capable of finishing in the top four and they now need to smartly invest to improve it as Mikel Arteta embarks on his first managerial job.

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And so, with a needed spending spree hoped for, although hugely unlikely, here are three dream signings that Arsenal should pursue this summer.

3. Thomas Partey

The two biggest needs of the team at present are defensive midfield and centre-back — as an aside to illustrate just how poor the Gunners’ recruitment has been over the past decade, for how long has that been said? Arsenal can solve one of those with a plug-and-play elite option who is available thanks to a reported £42 million release clause: Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey.

Partey will turn 27 this summer so he is an older target, but he is a ready-made defensive midfielder who would instantly improve the entire Arsenal team. He is strong, tall, athletic enough to cover ground, has terrific defensive instincts, which have been drilled into him by Diego Simeone, the best defensive coach in world football, but is also comfortable on the ball in tight spaces.

This is what separates the good defensive midfielders to the great ones. Fabinho, Fernandinho, Rodri are all superb in possession. They have the defensive awareness to break up play, but they are not limited once they have the ball. Contrast their influence to Lucas Torreira, for example. Partye is a ready-made, elite defensive midfielder. He is precisely what is needed.