SUMMER SIGNINGS WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR ARSENAL
THE summer transfer window will be key for Arsenal.
The Gunners have not quite recovered from the mediocrity surrounding them during the final years of Arsene Wenger’s reign as manager – one can argue that has become worse.
Things have improved since Mikel Arteta succeeded Unai Emery as manager at the Emirates Stadium. However, the consensus is that Arteta will need to make a number of signings this European summer if he wants to create a squad which can compete against the best in the league.
Realistically, Arsenal will not be able to compete against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City with the squad they have. Many are simply not on the same level as players from those two teams if you had to do like-for-like comparisons.
Arsenal is not the same club it was 10 years ago. There is a consensus among its critics that striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may need to leave the Emirates if he wants to win major silverware during the final years of his career.
It is hard to see any world-class player considering the Gunners as a first-choice destination to take their career forward. If Arsenal don’t take action and rebuild their squad soon, they could be consigned to mid-table status sooner rather than later.
The Gunners’ defence definitely needs reinforcement. They were subjected to jokes earlier this month for offering David Luiz a new contract.
The veteran has made several errors this season and offering him a new deal would certainly not come across as an ambitious move.
One could argue that the Gunners have not had a stable defence since the season of 2003/04 when they famously won the Premier League without losing a single match.
Calum Chambers, Sokratis and Konstantinos Movrapanos do not appear to be players likely to take the club forward. Skhodran Mustafi, Luiz and Pablo Mari can be decent players on their good days, but have yet to show they can regularly win matches for the club.
William Saliba appears to be an exciting talent. However, at just 19 years old, he needs to refine his game further before he can be considered a mainstay of the team.
What Arsenal needs to do is sign a world-class centre back this summer.
The Gunners will also need a new creative playmaker to replace Mesut Ozil, who has appeared to lack motivation since Germany’s disastrous 2018 World Cup campaign. It is now quite clear he will not have a future at the club and he has been linked with potential moves to the US and Turkey.
After struggling during the first half of the season, Dani Ceballos appears to be showing his potential now and the Gunners want to keep him on their books for next season.
With Matteo Guendouzi apparently headed out soon, a new defensive midfielder will be needed. Someone like Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid with whom the Gunners have been linked can make a massive difference.