Arsenal Transfers: 4 wingers the Gunners should target this summer

In Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, Arsenal are blessed with a pair of young wingers that the entire continent covet.

So, what’s the need to sign another wide player this summer, I hear you ask?

Last season, Nicolas Pepe’s inability to perform his function to Mikel Arteta’s standards meant that Saka was run into the ground down Arsenal’s right. It was a brilliant season for the England international, who scored 11 times in the Premier League, but he burned out towards the very end of the campaign.

If Saka is to reach superstardom, he can ill afford to put as much strain on the body as he did in 2021/22.

Martinelli, meanwhile, has already endured a long-term knee injury and he shouldn’t be relied upon to play week in, week out at his young age which, admittedly, he wasn’t last season as Emile Smith Rowe often filled in down the left. 

4 wingers Arsenal should target this summer

Some will be concerned that the addition of another winger, one that’ll compete for serious minutes, could thwart the respective developments of the aforementioned duo. But such a signing is necessary if Arsenal are to build on a promising 2021/22 season.

Young Brazilian Marquinhos isn’t likely to be ready for first-team action right away, so the Gunners could do with a high-profile arrival. Once again, ambipedality and versatility are two key attributes that Arteta will be looking for. Here are four options.

1. Moussa Diaby

Moussa Diaby is just brilliant, isn’t he? This would be a dream signing for Arsenal.

After he was sold by PSG in 2019, Diaby has excelled in a variety of systems under several managers at Bayer Leverkusen. He initially played a secondary role to Kai Havertz when Peter Bosz was in charge, and Florian Wirtz’s brilliance which manifested more frequently in the wake of Havertz’s departure meant that Diaby’s consistency went under the radar.

But a long-term injury to Wirtz thrust Diaby into the limelight last season and he responded by notching 25 goal contributions in 32 Bundesliga appearances.

The French international is comfortable operating as a touchline winger and a half-space creator off both flanks, such is his ambipedality and versatility. His ball-striking is excellent, while his smart movement off the ball, explosivity and directness mean he shines in the transition-heavy Bundesliga.

That would be my only concern with the 22-year-old: that he’s overly reliant on space, and a lot of it, to prosper.

Continued on the next slide…

2. Cody Gakpo

Cody Gakpo’s future may yet lie as a #9, but he’s an excellent option for Arsenal to play out wide.

The Dutchman can play anywhere across the frontline and is already an established leader at the tender age of 23. It was a booming campaign for the distinctly gifted Gakpo in 2021/22 as he contributed to 36 goals in 47 appearances across six competitions.

He has all the makings of a superstar, with his mentality seemingly indefatigable. Gakpo is elegant but sneakily powerful with the ball at his feet, and his gangly 6’2 frame combined with a fearsome turn of pace makes for an incredibly destructive ball carrier.

His productivity last season, meanwhile, depicts a player that boasts the requisite astuteness, creativity and ball striking to shine in the Premier League. The young Dutchman can score a variety of goals and is notably dangerous when he cuts onto his favoured right foot off the left flank.

Gakpo would be a serious addition for the Gunners. He’s a player capable of competing for three different spots in Arteta’s XI.

Continued on the next slide…

3. Hamed Traore

There’s a cesspit of talent at Sassuolo at the moment, with Arsenal being linked with a move for Neroverdi hitman Gianluca Scamacca.

Italian internationals Giacomo Raspadori and Domenico Berardi are two names greatly appreciated among calcio lovers, but it was Hamed Traore who burst onto the scene for Alessio Dionisi last time out.

After only appearing sporadically during the first half of the season, Traore emerged as an undroppable force once he returned from the African Cup of Nations in February. Eight of his 11 total Serie A goal contributions came between Matchdays 25 and 32 in what was a purple patch for the Ivorian.

Traore primarily operated off the left for Dionisi, but the manager’s encouragement of rapid combination play between the lines meant that the 22-year-old typically occupied the half-space in a bid to combine with his nimble fellow attackers.

The Ivorian is ever-maturing and his flexibility could intrigue Arteta. Some believe that Traore’s future lies in a #8 role.

Continued on the next slide…

4. Raphinha

Arsenal’s interest in Raphinha is real, and the Brazilian would be a brilliant addition for the Gunners. Leeds, however, are set to dig in their heels this summer and acquiring the spritely winger will certainly be an arduous task for Edu & Co.

Raphinha has been Leeds’ star man since they returned to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020. Signed from Rennes for a meagre £17m, the 25-year-old has scored 17 times and added 12 assists in 65 Premier League appearances.

The Brazilian, who’s drawn comparisons to Angel Di Maria, is a touchline winger who excels from a creative standpoint. Under Bielsa, in particular, his combination play mesmerised and his ability to isolate and beat a man one-v-one is invaluable for any side.

Overall, he’s a brilliant fit for the right-winger role in Arteta’s system, but his competence off the opposite flank shouldn’t be overlooked. Thus, he won’t just be competing for Saka’s spot in the XI.

This is a move that makes complete sense, and I’d love to see Arsenal break the bank to bring Raphinha to the Emirates.