Five summer signings that will strengthen Arsenal next season. by Kandy Theodore
So, it turns out that Unai Emery will have around about 50 million pounds to spend on new signings this coming summer, that figure could however rise from potential player sales and success in the Europa league. Still, we won’t be able to afford crucial players to our cause who’d most likely cost around 40 million each, and we need about four of those, a composed central defender who likes to get his house in order, two defensively sound fullbacks for both flanks who are just as capable of being a threat in the final third, a technical, pacey winger with a decent end product and a robust central midfielder with good technical ability to complement Torreira and the promising Guendouzi.
Ramsey and Welbeck seem to be on their way out, and the futures of Mesut Ozil, Mohamed Elneny and Shkrodan Mustafi are anything but certain at this point. I’d hate to see Mesut leave, I think there’s still a lot to come from him if he’s around the right players, but we’ve been at this for years now, he’s not getting any younger and the club is never going to bring in the players to make us a complete team. We’ll have weak players here and there, and the reality is he’s always going to be the scapegoat when we lose a match. The best thing that can happen for both parties is for him to leave and revive his career at a more stable club, while making some room in the wage budget for players better suited to Emery’s tactics.
With that said, here are the players I think would make us a formidable force next season with the likely transfer budget at our disposal.
1. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crystal Palace – Hector Bellerin needs competition at right back and given his bad luck with injuries, he’ll be in and out of the team most of the time. Wan-Bissaka is a threat on the break and a tough nut to crack at the back, a great deal of nuisance to wingers and let’s be honest, he’ll be more than welcome. However, Palace rate him highly and he won’t come cheap. Maybe Jenkinson plus some 15 million pounds will have Palace thinking about a deal.
2. Ben Chilwell, Leicester City – All has been said about this guy and we’ve seen him play, most importantly we NEED him. He won’t come cheap and Leicester may even be reluctant to sell, but 20 million pounds may test the waters here, for a necessary signing I’d say.
3. Yacine Brahimi, FC Porto – Out of contract in the summer, tricky, pacey and deadly. He’d be a coup if we were to land this deal and not to mention he’s at his peak at 29 years old. Our flanks could use him.
4. Sander Berg, Genk – A 6’4 towering central midfielder, combative and pacey for that figure, reads the game well, good passing and boy he can tackle just as well as he can drive the ball up field with a great deal of determination. Other than that, he’s still just 21 and as composed and confident on the ball just as good as Guendouzi if not better. Think of him as an offensive yet faster Matic, second to none in aerial duels and strength. However, how much he might cost I have no idea.
5. Kostas Manolas, Roma – A quality central defender, he’ll probably cost us our whole transfer budget leaving me with little faith of a deal ever being completed. Another sensible alternative is Nacho at Real Madrid, good luck with that one.
6. Kai Havertz, Leverkhusen, – If Mesut leaves, this kid should be his replacement. He’s as unique as Mesut is, brilliant on and off the ball. But let’s be honest, we’ll have a better chance of coming fourth this season than landing this deal.
Kandy