The season is over and the transfer window has opened. Some Arsenal fans are already agitated that the club didn’t make any signings yet. Understandably so, given the north London club’s poor history in the transfer market.
Be it signing players who don’t deliver as expected(Willian, Rúnarsson) or completing transfers so late that new signings don’t get a proper pre-season(e.g. Partey). This coupled with the fact that EURO’s start imminently which is bound to drive the prices of certain players up(including some the Emirates club may be willing to offload).
Goalkeeper
It is there for all to see that the club need a goalkeeper to deputize for Bernd Leno(if he stays at the club beyond this summer) and Mathew Ryan seems like an obvious choice. He was signed on loan after Rúnarsson’s underwhelming performances(which is an understatement). Reports have also linked the club to Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana, although his doping ban makes it an interesting choice for Arsenal.
Right-Back
Hector Bellerin who joined Arsenal in 2011 is being linked with a move away from the club and reports have that he has a host of suitors from Spain. This might not come as a surprise as the Spaniard ended the season as the second choice right-back after falling behind Chambers in the pecking order. If he does indeed leave, he will need to be replaced.
Cedric might get the cut and probably should. He finished the season poorly and it’s hard to see a future for him at the club. However, he is on fairly high wages and that might make it hard to move him on.
Calum Chambers impressed in the final games of the season, with his contract running out next summer it would seem Edu has got some work to do. Either extend his deal or sell him this summer, but under no circumstances should the Englishman be allowed to leave on free.
Center-Back
David Luiz was released by the club at the end of the season and the defender was accorded an emotional farewell. Fair play to the lad and good luck to him, but at 34 this was the right move for the club.
Mavropanos had a very impressive season at Stuttgart and at just 23 there’s still a lot more to come from him. It remains to be seen what Arteta has planned for the youngster, but in Mavropanos, Arsenal have a very decent option.
Saliba returns from Nice where he was on loan. He’s had a decent half-season for the French outfit and would be eager to showcase his skills at the Emirates this season.
Left-Back
ARSENAL NEED BACKUP FOR TIERNEY! It is that simple.
Midfield
Xhaka seems to be on the verge of joining Roma. He has been of great service to the club but he’s going to be 29 in September and with Ruben Neves rumors gaining momentum, not too many fans should be concerned about this one. €20 million or thereabouts is pretty decent in the current climate.
Guendouzi will likely join Marseille and most of the supporters will probably miss the midfielder. He’s had an impressive first season under Emery, but Arteta didn’t seem to fancy giving the youngster too many chances. He was quickly shipped out and far away on loan to Hertha Berlin. Is this the one that the club might regret?
Odegaard’s loan has come to an end and although the stats may not show just how good he has been, there’s no denying that his impact will have delighted many. Can the Gunners make another loan deal happen? Maybe a permanent move? they should. Hopefully, he doesn’t fancy working with Ancelotti after the Italian referred to him as a PR stunt a few years back. SIGN HIM UP!
Elneny’s contract expires next summer and the north Londoners should look to move him on. He’s a nice bloke however it’s imperative that the club need an upgrade, or at the very least make room for someone such as Miguel Azeez.
Joe Willock and Maitland-Niles are back from their respective loan spells, it will be interesting to see what’s in store for this duo. Will they feature in Arteta’s plans next season or will they be sold to raise some capital for other signings?
There’s no point discussing Ceballos is there. Good riddance.
Attack
Balogun’s contract extension is good news for the club. However, Nketiah and Lazazette’s contract situations would point to the probability of them being sold off this summer. Maybe contract extensions are in the pipeline, but it would be foolhardy of the club to be in a situation next year where either of the two can leave on a free.
Read More: Arsenal’s 2020/2021 season – So many ‘what if’ moments
