The 5 Man City players Arsenal should pursue in potential fire sale

Arsenal's biggest rivals look set to crash and burn, and Mikel Arteta should be looking to capitalise.

Manchester City have been found guilty of breaching over 100 Premier League regulations between 2009 and 2018. While they have the right to appeal, the independent panel's damning statement, which emphasised the word 'sham' multiple times, doesn't suggest their prospective appeal is likely to be successful.

Potential sanctions range from a fine to expulsion from the English top flight. All signs point toward the harshest possible punishment, which could ultimately see them playing in the EFL, or even in the National League, from next season.

Assuming this worst-case scenario for the Citizens, almost all of the top players at the Etihad will demand a transfer, potentially triggering the fastest and most widespread fire sale in football history.

With that said, here are five City players Arsenal must look to snap up if this fire sale ensues.

Erling Haaland

The most obvious player the Gunners should pursue if City are forced to sell their stars is Erling Haaland. There have already been rumours that the North Londoners have started laying the groundwork for a potential transfer for the Norwegian, and while this speculation is unsubstantiated at the moment, it makes sense.

If the most prolific number nine on the planet becomes available, and you're a big club competing for major honours, you make a move for him. Arsenal wouldn't be alone in their pursuit of Haaland, with the top Spanish clubs likely to rival them for the player's signature.

It also remains to be seen what the finances behind a potential deal would look like. Would City be forced to accept well below market rate due to their standing as a lower-league club and the demands from the players themselves? Or will the fees look normal?

Whichever way it shakes out, Haaland would be the ceiling-raising signing who would take Arsenal's attack to another level.

Jeremy Doku

The gaping hole in Arsenal's team is currently on the left-hand side of their attack. Christos Tzolis has settled in well and looks to be a dependable contributor, but the Gunners can still do much better than the Greek.

Jeremy Doku has made huge strides forward over the last 12 months and would perfectly fit into Arteta's attack. Where previously he was a frustrating wide man who could beat his man but would struggle to convert these take-ons into chance creation, he's now a productive forward with end product.

Unlike Haaland, there is likely to be minimal competition for Doku's signature, and thus, this feels like a plausible deal for Arsenal to pull off.

Ayyoub Bouaddi

Arsenal need to get younger in midfield over the coming years. All of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Bruno Guimaraes and Eberechi Eze are over the age of 27, with Myles Lewis-Skelly the only youngster in Arteta's cohort in the middle of the park.

Thus, if they can simply pick off City stars, Ayyoub Bouaddi should be up there as one of their selections. The Gunners were linked with the Moroccan over the summer, which shows there is already a base level of interest.

The 18-year-old is one of the most promising midfielders in European football at the moment, and his blend of attributes would dovetail nicely with Lewis-Skelly over the coming years.

Rayan Cherki

Many would argue the Gunners don't need another number ten in their ranks, given the presence of Odegaard and Eze. However, as mentioned earlier, both of those players are entering the latter stages of their prime, so Arsenal might as well add one of the most creative midfielders in the Premier League to their squad if they can, as a long-term replacement for these two stars.

Rayan Cherki isn't to everyone's liking, with his questionable work rate off the ball riling many up. Arteta would need to adapt his system a little to cope with the Frenchman's inability to press, but it would arguably be worth it.

The 23-year-old scored eleven goals and provided 17 assists across all competitions last season and regularly ranks near the top of most attacking metrics. He'd raise Arsenal's creative ceiling massively.

Josko Gvardiol

Arsenal's squad is all but complete currently, so it's actually a lot more difficult to cherry-pick City players to add to it than one might think. Once signing Haaland and Doku to fill holes in their attack, and then adding Bouaddi for the future, everything else is a bonus.

Like with Cherki, Arsenal need someone to succeed their existing players in certain positions, and they'll need a Gabriel Magalhaes replacement in the next few years. Why not make Josko Gvardiol the Brazilian's successor?

He might not be quite as physically imposing as Gabriel, but he has the general athleticism and on-the-ball ability to take the 28-year-old's job eventually. It's a no-brainer.

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