Arsenal are claimed to hold an interest in signing Jesse Lingard in the coming window, and with the Express claiming we could eye a swap deal, we thought we’d look at the possible options.
The Red Devils are likely to be in for a forward or striker this summer, a back-up goalkeeper, a defensive or central midfielder as well as looking to bolster their right-back position.
Arsenal have a number of players who they would likely hope would spark their fancy, with the likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Hector Bellerin, Cedric Soares, Alex Runarsson, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette all able to fill those roles, whilst not currently being considered indispensable in North London at present.
I imagine Arsenal would accept allowing any of the above to use as a makeweight in the deal, but United are unlikely to take just anyone.
Hector Bellerin could pose as attractive if they believed that he could return to the player he once was, with the push of a new challenge spurring him on, but I believe the attacking trio could well prove to be the most attractive.
Lacazette is Arsenal’s top goalscorer at present with 15 goals, and represents a player who can be the main threat in attack, but also operate between the lines to free space for his fellow attackers. The Gunners stance on his future is uncertain, with just 12 months remaining on his current contract come the summer, and they may well have to allow him to leave in fear of losing him for free in the following close-season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has to be Arsenal’s most frustrating player this season. We all know the ability that he possesses, and how important he can be to our success, but for whatever reason he seems disinterested. His goals have dried up, and his lateness have only moved to highlight that he isn’t taking things as serious as he should. United are unlikely to be put off however, and may well believe such a deal could resemble their former signing of Robin Van Persie.
The Red Devils were linked with a move to sign Pepe prior to his arrival in North London, and while his time at the Emirates hasn’t been straight forward, he clearly retains some ability. It remains to be seen if Mikel Arteta will be able to get that out of him however, and who would really be shocked if we decided to cut our losses this summer?
I personally think the most likely deal for all involved would be for Aubameyang to be used as the makeweight, partly because of his high wages and that he and Arteta no longer appear to be on the same page. For us however, despite Lacazette currently topping the charts, his departure looks extremely likely this summer one way or another, but I’m not sure the Red Devils would rate him as highly as he deserves.
Who do you think would be a fair trade this summer? Should Guendouzi maybe get a mention?
Patrick