This season will be remembered by all Arsenal fans as the season in which they came close to defeating Manchester City for the league title on their first attempt. In this piece, I’d like to discuss what to expect from Arsenal next season.
Arteta wants to field a world-class team next season. That is what his reported six-man transfer wishlist suggests. After being “exposed”, Arteta is eager to add quality to his team. Comparing his bench to Guardiola’s, he has no excuse but to beef up his team.
The midfield is the one position that will ultimately be transformed if all goes to plan. Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo, and Romeo Lavia are the targets most often mentioned in rumours. Of these three, I see two being signed: The desire to be better and the return to the Champions League could see Arsenal decision-makers ready to spend big. If two of these three are signed, Arsenal’s midfield would be packed with bodies. I doubt Arteta would want that; thus, some players could make way.
As Arteta said about the transfer window on SkySports: “They are always tough decisions,”
“Whether it’s to recruit or other decisions, some players sometimes don’t want to continue with us, some staff members.
“It’s always tough, especially when you have good relationships with those individuals, but we are here to win.”
“That’s the purpose of everybody at the club. We have to win and to win we have to do it in our way and to do that we have to make decisions.”
With Xhaka tipped to stay and Odegaard and Partey untouchable, it is Emile Smith-Rowe, Albert Sambi Lokonga, and Fabio Vieira who may make way. Emile Smith-Rowe’s injury this season may cost him, while Lokonga and Vieira’s failures to take their chances may see them leave in the summer (probably on loan deals, but who knows?). Some have to be sacrificed for the greater good of the project.
Anyway, even if many of the trio’s fans get hurt, considering the quality in Arteta’s midfield with Rice, Partey, Caicedo, Lavia, Odegaard, and Xhaka as options, these exits will be justified.
Arteta and his team will dethrone the Citizens next season, but in order to accomplish so, some cruel transfer decisions will be made, with some coming in and others leaving.
Who do you think will be going?
Darren N
Video – Mikel Arteta talks about the reasons Arsenal are second – “We were so close”
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…