Arsenal summer transfer window: Attack, midfield, defence

While Arsenal can do their best to sit at a somewhat respectable position on the Premier League table, there is small chance that the Gunners can even make it into the Europa Conference League at this point.

Winning these final matches would be positive and surely worth going for, yet in truth, the focus will be beginning to move beyond the pitch and into the transfer market.

There are so many questions as I alluded to in my last piece, and many of them are questions of personnel, of contract, and of utilitarian fit and style. While there are names that we know are quite likely gone – with a few different names that could remain – this summer will be a busy one. Although, without European competition, financial magic might have to be worked in north London.

No one believes Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang is going anywhere after the extension he just received, and while this season has been difficult for him, it is even more difficult to believe he would suffer two seasons like that in a row at this age.

Arsenal’s crucial summer transfer window: Attack, midfield and defence all need strengthening by Mikel Arteta

Around him lies young talent, as well as older names; Willian will be difficult to shift unless he is simply trying to vacate north London after this dismal season, while Alexandre Lacazette could reasonably see himself departing for no other reason than finances and squad build.

Lacazette is a fine player who is capable of fine performances when in the right side, it just seems as though he is not in the right squad for his style and comfort. As he sits as a number nine, he takes up a spot that Aubameyang would naturally fill, which in turn means that a young winger like Gabriel Martinelli is unable to see as much playing time as he might deserve or need.

With Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun in the fold, although the former will be leaving, there is sufficient talent and depth to warrant the possible sale of Lacazette to afford the club more necessary pieces in other areas.

With the growth of Nicolas Pepe this season, it is safe to assume that Willian would be expendable if they could find a buyer for the player, as the Brazilian is not worth the roster spot at this point in his career. Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe are both capable of playing internally as well as on the wing, and should Arsenal be able to purchase the Norwegian from his current parent club of Real Madrid, both of those players could impact Pepe where it is necessary.

Arsenal’s Midfield Transfer Task

This to my mind is where most of the work needs to be done. There are great pieces to work with up top regardless of if you make any moves or not, whether you bring new strikers and wingers in or simply sell, the talent is there. Yet the middle of the pitch for Arsenal is barren and in need of fresh innovation, creativity and imagination.

Houssem Aouar and Julian Brandt come to mind right away for me, yet Yves Bissouma has also been in the headlines regarding a move to north London. Any of those three players would be special in concert with other pieces like Thomas Partey and Bukayo Saka, and surely could help to give us some fluidity from back to front, side to side and everything in between.

Meanwhile, Lucas Torreira will surely be sold permanently when he returns from Atletico Madrid, while it wouldn’t surprise me Granit Xhaka were told to find a new club as well. Dani Ceballos will not be returning as has been previously reported and so he could find himself back at Madrid or even to Real Betis as he has discussed previously.

Mohamed Elneny deserves his spot on the team and both Smith Rowe, as well as the other Madrid man Odegaard, should naturally retain their own respective spots on the roster; keep an eye out for Aaron Ramsey as well, to be filed in the “Hot Take” category.

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Arsenal and their defence: Some good and some bad

There is no doubt that Gabriel Magalhaes is marvelous, and would’ve been a major signing for whatever club was lucky enough to get him. As that was Arsenal, this is certainly a positive to be counted, yet the defensive backline is complicated for a few reasons mainly.

The first in my mind is that outside of him there seems to be a need for new names and talents; Konstantinos Mavropanos, having spent another loan spell abroad, should be given the chance to show that he can be a full time contributor for Arsenal in the center-back position. Should he be a fit, his massive size and athletic ability could make him and Gabriel a convincing and intimidating pair.

Like Willian above, David Luiz needed shifting so news of his contract not being renewed was no great surprise. The Brazilian has had an immense career at every team he’s played for but the time had come to go back to Portugal or Brazil for the final stages of his professional playing career.

Moving on, as we get to the full-backs, the left side has Kieren Tierney, who is a young star without question. I love him as a player and believe that all we need behind him is depth and the rest will work itself out fine.

At the right-back position, reports essentially confirm that Hector Bellerin will leave the club. When he does, a replacement will be found whether from Inter in the form of Achraf Hakimi, or someone else, since it is apparent that person will not be Ainsley Maitland-Niles. It will have to be addressed when it becomes an issue.

Of course there are other names, but this piece cannot be a book. We will pour over more names across the weeks and months it is guaranteed, and rumors will sprout out of nowhere and die just as quickly; such is the transfer market and the rumor mill.

Transfer Window and patience will save Arsenal

Arsenal have the young pieces from the Arsene Wenger era still growing into dynamic talents, as well as big name transfers who are still growing into the club and team around them. They must select the few pieces to try to purchase across the world or Europe, and then simply go all out to do it.

While some might’ve wished I’d have done a bit on Bernd Leno and the goalkeeper situation, I’m not sure it’s too dire to be honest. Leno is very good and Mat Ryan has been a positive. While a name like Wojciech Szczesny might sound appealing to some with the proper memory, the price could be prohibitive and the talent might not be that much more at each of their career stages.

No, for me, it’ll be a matter of fixing a few positions, shoring up others, while focusing on how to further develop ourselves internally all the while. Arsenal is on the right path, even if that path has difficult terrain to manage at times; when success is earned, those hard times are but laughs and stories to tell the poor souls who never suffered the blight.