Arsenal’s 2022 summer transfer window preview

Winger

Bukayo Saka played 2,978 minutes in the Premier League last season following a campaign in which he played 2,553 Premier league minutes. Long story short, the guy needs a rest. Saka, even at the age of 20 years old is Arsenal’s most important player which is why proper cover must be brought in with the likely departure of Nicolas Pepe.

Many Arsenal fans would love the club to bring in a premier winger signing. A Serge Gnabry homecoming would send Gooners across the globe into overdrive but, unfortunately, I don’t see that happening.

The club seems to be heading in a direction with its wage structure to be signing lower-risk investments on lower wages. As I mentioned in my last article, I worry that a big-name winger signing, as good as it would be, could have the impact of stunting the development of Arsenal’s new number 11, Gabriel Martinelli.

So, if the club doesn’t go all-in on a splashy signing, what direction do Arsenal go in this position? I see the most likely option being a mix of Gabriel Jesus covering the right-wing when needed and Brazilian winger Marquinhos from Sao Paulo as long as the potential legal battle with Wolves surrounding the young winger doesn’t prevent that.

Marquinhos is an interesting case for this spot as from the admittedly very little I have seen, I can see why the club have scouted him as a depth option for Saka. He seems to have some similar attributes to the 2021 PFA Young Player of the Year nominee; he can play off both wings, has a two-footed trait that Arteta loves in his players, and is a young, talented player that can develop playing behind someone like Saka. A jump from the Brazilian Serie A to the Premier League is a big one so a depth role could be good for the 19-year-old.