Arsenal: 5 surprise transfer window moves ahead of deadline

Arsenal find themselves in a position of real danger: results are faltering, performances are insipid and work is still underway to forge a squad with finer symmetry and a higher floor. It’s getting there. Hope rests on a storming West Brom victory.

Less than a week remains until the August 31 summer window deadline and despite a considerable amount of shifting having been completed since January – the number of first team exits could reach beyond double figures by the end of the month – there is still more to do.

Five new faces have made their way through the Emirates Stadium doors, all within a very distinct age profile. Ben White is the oldest of all the additions. He’s 23 years of age.

A clear strategy is in place and there is no denying that Mikel Arteta has been backed financially by those in charge, with more possibly in the offing as the clock ticks down on another memorable window. They’re always fairly unique across the continent.

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5 surprise transfer window moves that could happen at Arsenal as the August 31 deadline approaches for Mikel Arteta’s side

Sales, or at least departures, have to be be sanctioned in order for new arrivals, with the most likely of those being a right-back. Arsenal would surely want more – the fans certainly do – but overhauls of this scale aren’t completed overnight. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and so on and so forth.

But the window is far from closed.

Did anyone think Tottenham would pay £40m for Adama Traore? Did anyone think Real Madrid would offer £135m for Kylian Mbappe when they can just wait 12 months and get him for free?

While Arsenal aren’t, obviously, anywhere near the Madrid conversation, there is definite scope for some activity to take place between now and August 31 that might raise a few eyebrows. With a few moves heavily mooted and expected to come off – Willian among them – what about some left-field pieces of business?

While nothing is out of the realms of possibility, there is a reason these would be surprising.

1. Mohamed Elneny is Sold

It’s not likely to happen. But stranger things have happened.

Faint murmurs of Watford making an offer for Mohamed Elneny began to emerge of late but were immediately shot down by Fabrizio Romano who claimed there was no such bid.

The situation is that the Egyptian has not been offered a new contract at Arsenal despite preliminary discussions taking place at the end of last season, and with nothing new on that front since, it does raise a few queries.

Every player has a price and if someone were to come in with an acceptable offer for the 29-year-old, Arsenal would certainly sell so long as they could secure a replacement. That could come internally. It applies to near enough the whole squad.

Interestingly, Arsenal have continued a trend of tying players down to new deals so as the protect their value, something that hasn’t taken place with Elneny. Given he only has a year left on his deal (there isn’t exactly much in the way of value anyway) it may be that Arsenal are keeping him in the shop window until deadline day in the hopes of attracting a buyer, and if they don’t, then they may offer him a one-year extension.

If he did go, it would have a knock on effect with this move…

2. Ainsley Maitland-Niles Stays

Even working on the basis that Elneny does stay this summer, Arsenal are taking a risk in heading into the 2021/22 campaign with Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Sambi Lokonga and Elneny as the four senior central midfield options.

Given two of those will be off to AFCON in January, leaving just two to man the fort while they’re gone is risky, not least with it hopeful some cup competitions will still be going by then. What if injury strikes? Is it Calum Chambers and Ben White as a midfield duo?

Which is why Maitland-Niles may well not leave this summer. And, truth be told, with Miguel Azeez being pictured in Portsmouth ahead of what looks to be a season-long loan, it’s almost nailed on that he will stay unless a healthy bid comes in and there is time for a replacement.

With two years left on his deal, there is certain scope for him to retain a place in the squad and fill in at his desired midfield slot, albeit on an infrequent basis as fourth or fifth choice. He would clearly prefer to play regular football, but if Elneny were somehow to depart, and especially with Azeez set to be on his way, then his chances open up further.

Not least because all aside from him are behind the ball midfielders. The most expansive No. 8-like of all of them is Maitland-Niles and some variety in that position wouldn’t go amiss.

He may very well leave due to his contract situation and that he could accrue a healthy £15m, which Arsenal may not be able to turn dow if another signing can be made. This does now look unsurprising, however.

3. Cedric is Loaned Out

One of the most inexplicably stupid signings in recent memory was the acquisition of Cedric, who quite clearly arrived courtesy of a budding friendship between Edu and Kia Joorabchian.

Was he who Arteta really wanted? Granted he gave his blessing but given how far down the pecking order he is at the club – close to fourth choice in both full-back departments – he either had little say in the matter or changed his mind in quick time.

The plan this summer is to bring in a new right-back, which is entirely contingent on Hector Bellerin being moved on. A desire from all parties to secure that move will surely see it happen, no matter how undesirable it will be financially for Arsenal.

Furthermore, Arsenal don’t need three right-backs. It’s been mentioned by football.london that the defender wants to stay and fight for his place despite loan interest in him. Why, though?

Bellerin being replaced by a first team regular pushes him down the pecking order even further, and with Chambers due to stay and White capable of filling in at right-back, Arsenal would gladly sanction a loan move somewhere to reduce the squad size and get wages off the books.

Whether Bellerin stays or not, Cedric isn’t needed. He didn’t even make the squad on Wednesday night.

If he can be convinced enough that he won’t be playing at all this season, which couldn’t be more obvious, then a late move away would actually be relatively unsurprising. Arsenal would likely be content paying some of his wages.

4. Arthur Okonkwo is Loaned Out Instead of Alex Runarsson

One of these two has just signed a new contract and been promoted to the senior side, while the other saw a move break down that would have seen him join a newly-promoted Turkish first division side.

Which one is going to leave this summer, then?

Aaron Ramsdale has walked through the doors to provide competition for Bernd Leno and if all goes well the only two players who will don the first team gloves this season will be that pair.

While it’s widely expected that Runarsson will depart in some capacity this window, does anybody actually want him? Of all four he is the one hoped to be moved on in order to at least rebuild his limited stock ahead of a potential sale.

If he weren’t to find a suitor it would be in stark contrast to Arthur Okonkwo, who will have clubs lining up to take him on board. Most sides have secure their goalkeepers for now but if there is a team somewhere that can take the 19-year-old on loan for the campaign and offer him regular minutes it would do him the world of good.

One of them has to leave and given the queue to sign up Runarsson is hardly suffocating, maybe it will be Okonkwo.

5. Arsenal Sign a Centre-Forward This Summer

It would be the biggest surprise of all if Arsenal were to bring in a new centre-forward this summer. It really would.

Eddie Nketiah, while injured at present and with his employers incredibly wanted to accrue £20m for him, is surely going to be moved on. He has to be. He can’t not be.

The issue, of course, lies with Alexandre Lacazette. With each passing day Arsenal will be lowering their valuation of the 30-year-old as every hour draws him closer to a seemingly inevitable playing out of his contract. Even for the striker, it’s more lucrative for him to secure bigger wages somewhere else next summer and stay with the club he feels at home at.

Why would he leave?

But let’s say he does. Let’s say a buyer is found. Who comes in to replace him and how much time is there to sign them? The first part of that answer is ‘who knows’ and the second segment is ‘not a lot’.

Therefore, like all those listed above, it would be a surprise for Arsenal to bring in a new striker this summer. The other four are plausible, and this one is definitely not impossible, but at this stage you’d be getting some excellent odds on a shiny new No. 9 walking through the Emirates doors.