Hello friends, The below is just my opinion and purely hypothetical and open for discussion.
Transfers (Value in Mil Euros)
Players to be sold:
Wojciech Szczęsny (15); Matthieu Debuchy (5); Kieran Gibbs (10); Lucas Pérez (15); David Ospina (5); Carl Jenkinson (5); Joel Campbell (5). Income: 50 mil
Players to be bought:
Alexandre Lacazette (55); Riyad Mahrez (30); Joe Hart (15).
Expenditure: 100 mil
Net Expenditure: 50 mil (60 mil max)
Transfer Analysis:
Selling Szczesnny and Ospina is a logical move and Hart would be the best available option (also available at a low price). Also English and has valuable experience in winning the league and is England’s No. 1 (ticks a lot of boxes). This would surely be a shrewd long term signing. Defence looks good and selling dead weights like Gibbs, Debuchy and Jenskinson frees up space. Campbell can be sold as his future looks bleak at best and Mahrez would be a great addition to the wings. Mbappe is not coming and at 120+ mil is a little too overpriced and the best alternative is Lacazette, hopefully he will be joining soon.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, Peter Cech, Emiliano Martínez
Left Back: Sead Kolasinac, Nacho Monreal
Central Defence: Laurient Koscielny, Skhodran Mustafi, Gabriel, Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker
Right Back: Bellerin, Callum Chambers
Defensive Midfield: Granit Xhaka, Francis Coquelin, Mohamed Elneny
Central Midfield: Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla
Left Wing: Alexis Sanchez, Alex Iwobi
Attacking Midfield: Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey
Right Wing: Riyad Mahrez, Theo Walcott
Striker: Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck
Squad Analysis
Starting with goalkeepers, Joe Hart is the first choice with Cech rotating when needed. Kolasinac and Monreal would take care of the left back slots (rotating when needed). Central Defence looks good with Koscielny and Mustafi looking solid. Gabriel and Holding are able deputies. Bellerin is the first choice right back (should not be sold for any price) and Chambers or Gabriel can deputise when needed. Xhaka would be the main defensive midfielder (surely would improve in the second season) and Coquelin & Elneny are good backups. Chamberlain, Ramsey & Wilshere would be the central midfielders (rotating as per the team requirement and also with other positions as well). Sanchez (should not be sold) owns the left wing position and Iwobi is very good as witnessed last season and hence is the back-up to Sanchez. Ozil would be the playmaker. Also this position can be rotated along with central midfield with Ramsey, Wilshere etc as back-ups. Mahrez would be a great addition and also a creative outlet on the right wing. Walcott is more than an able cover and can also be used in rotation with others. Lacazette (pray that this transfer is completed) would be the main striker with Giroud as “plan B” like last season and Welbeck can also be used for rotation.
This is keeping in mind the matches to be played next season (including the highly demanding Europa league). Also this squad would have a lot of versatile players for rotation.
First Team (PL): 4-2-3-1
GK: Hart; LB: Kolasinac; CD: Koscielny, Mustafi; RB: Bellerin; DM: Xhaka; CM: Ramsey; LW: Sanchez; AM: Ozil; RW: Mahrez; ST: Lacazette (Subs: Cech, Gabriel, Monreal, Giroud, Chamberlain, Wilshere, Iwobi)
Solid Defence. Strong Competent Midfield. Attacking Strike Force. Bench Strength.
P.S: Unlikely but handy transfers: Chris Smalling (solid defender and in the market for a cut price), Ross Barkley (for the right price and could be an able successor to Cazorla), Wayne Rooney (not a bad move because at any age or in any form he is worth his place and his biggest strengths are captaincy, PL winning experience which Arsenal sorely need, and enormous hunger and grit).
Hoping for the best!
Faithful Gooner
So mahrez and Laccazzette makes us contenders ?
What makes us contenders is performance. If that team played its best every week then yes we would be contenders
Players is one thing- performance, hunger, cohesion etc. is something else
If our new striker is confirmed my biggest concern is who our leaders are?
Mertesacker was our only captain material for me in recent years. But think we desperately need this role
Well said mate,
But Mertesacker doesn’t fancy playing much anymore, he wants a behind the scenes coaching role at the club. I would make him Holdings personal training, man him up for future Captains armband. Maybe let him train up Chambers too?
xhaka qualifies as captain material
Guess a fanboy analysis. Where is the cost for improving Alexis/Ozil contracts? Or Ox/Ramsey contracts? That would add 30mil a year in wages, and we do not free enough wages in return. And really, Joe Hart? I did not read after that.
Goretzka – Ramsey replacement if he does not sign up. Julian Brandt may be along side him.
Ox not signing? sell him and buy quality English talent, keep Bellerin
Jenkinson no sell for me yet, send him on loan. Wilshere must go instead.
Mahrez – not so interested, but will do
All these if Alexis/Ozil stay, so that is a big IF.
Admin wants to keep Walcott in the team for what? Pace? lol, one of the most overated players in PL ever thanks to Wenger.
I also hope we don’t get Mahrez, he is more lazy than Ozil, even though body language will tell otherwise.
If Lacazette and Mahrez come in and Sanchez leaves, we will NOT win the title next season.
He was our second highest goal-scorer last season… but yeah, just pace obviously
You lost me at Joe Hart… He is absolute crap..
Yeah wtf Joe hart?! What is he smoking mate? My grandma is a better keeper than joe hart and she passed away 20 years ago. I would rather sanogo as goalkeeper – ok maybe not but you get the point.
Stand up material ??
You will see, if Sanchez wants to leave, Arsenal will wait and wait until last week and then give in to a PL team who offers huge money if there are none around Europe willing to buy him.
Appreciate the time and effort that you put into this fantasy article, but unfortunately it lacks some reality.
Walcott ? West Ham
Jack Wheelchair ? Huddlesfield
Giroud ? Everton or West Ham
Sanchez ? City (£70 mil) or Munich (35 mil)
Cazorla ?out injured until early 2018
Ox ? Liverpooh
Hart ??? it was Rob Green last I looked ?
Maybe you should have waited until a week before the season kicked off, or at least waited until Wenger says that he won’t be looking to buy anymore players, before doing this Article.
Buys Joe Hart and puts him first choice…… Whatever you’re smoking, that must be hell of a drug.
Hart, the old useless formation, Ramsey staying…what the hell!
OX to Liverpool, Coultinho to Arsenal. Any chance?
Wayne Rooney?
He currently makes £280,000-300,000 per week
In his contract, He can force a 12 month extension so why would he come to Arsenal and earn a lot less?
I sort of agree, id go for ospina, wojciech, Gibbs, per, debuchy, Jenko, Perez, and poss Theo out.
Butland, lacazette, Barkley, in.
Stick with a version of the system we ended with last season.
So Cech/butland in goal.
Kos, mustafi, holding, Gabriel, chambers, in the back 3.
Kolasinac, monreal LWB
The ox and bellerin RWB
Xhaka, coquelin, Elneny. Defensive mid.
Rambo, jack and Barkley mid.
Ozil in behind a front two.
Of lacazette and Sanchez (or if he has to go city then we should hold firm and get Aguero in a swap deal)
Welbeck and Giroud.
For me I’d go
Gk Cech
CB kos, mustafi, holding
Lwb Kolasinac
Rwb the ox
DM xhaka
Mid Barkley
No10 ozil
Str lacazette, Sanchez.
Could have a team for cups and Europe of
Gk butland
Cb kos, Gabriel, chambers.
Lwb monreal
Rwb bellerin
DM coquelin
Mid Rambo
No10 wilshere
Str welbeck giroud.
Still have iwobi elneny santi to come in and help when we get injuries.
Didn’t mean for per to leave the club. Just join the coaching. Maybe stay registered as a player for emergency use ?
Football fans could be funny and I laugh at some people’s opinion . Walcot has pace which he uses to get us goals and emerged second highest goal scorer after Sanchez last season thereby offending some people so he must be sold ! A winger getting 19 goals when he did not start many matches and was frozen out by Wenger towards the end of the season? If the other winger and those facing goals directly had scored goals like Walcot ,we would have been crowned champions surely.
Haters of Walcot should let him be !
No matter how u want to put. He is CRAB
Am still trying to get why Arsenal fans hate Walcott and Ramsey.
G8 mind blowing thunderous analysis ……but gunners will loose gain next season 🙁
Joe Hart as first choice keeper? Central Midfield of Wilshere, Carzola and the Ox? 4-2-3-1 formation?
Is this a result of too much booze/partying over the weekend or something?
Write another story/analysis when you’re fully awake, man!
Sell Szcz and buy the WORSE Hart?
STFU!
Szcz was the best GK in the Italy and wanted to replace Buffon, is Hart?
Name picking rather than player picking, shows everything I need about the article.