It's Groundhog Day for Arsenal fans and it's only February. After another rout at the hands of Bayern Munich – probably the weakest Bayern side the Gunners have faced – their season seems to have come to an end.
Irrespective of where they finish in the table or how much money they earn by the end of this season, it makes no difference to fans of the club.
The fans are probably the most frustrated they've ever been, the manager is probably the most disappointed he's ever been and the situation is probably the stalest it's ever been. But if you're an Arsenal fan and you witnessed their capitulation against the Bavarians this week, you're not shocked or distraught, you're just bored of having to witness the same performance again and again.
Also read: UEFA Champions League 2016/17: Twitter trolls Arsenal after they are ripped apart by Bayern Munich
And while Arsene Wenger should take part of the blame, the players ought to as well. On that note, take a look at five players that Arsenal need to sign in the summer if they want to progress at all:
#5 Isco
Mesut Ozil can no longer hide behind the manager and use a few decent performances against smaller teams to justify his inclusion in the team. He's a world-class player with world-class talent but it's just not working with Arsenal and he needs to move on.
There have been talks of Real Madrid wanting to sign him back permanently and Arsenal ought to look at that interest with an open mind. Should they decide that Ozil has had enough chances in the red of Arsenal, they could demand one of Real Madrid's other stars in exchange.
Isco is a sensational player and has the kind of technical ability combined with pace that will really work in the Premier League. The English game doesn't respect a player like Ozil who often looks anonymous on the field and it needs someone who can carry and run with the ball at their feet: like a Philippe Coutinho or a Christian Eriksen.
Isco can be that player for the Gunners.
Player to replace: Mesut Ozil
#4 Layvin Kurzawa
Did anyone really notice how much of an impact Lionel Messi had on the PSG vs Barcelona game the other night? Fielded out on the right-hand side, the Argentine was constantly tormented by defenders, with one in particular, Layvin Kurzawa, proving to be a thorn in his side.
On the other hand, did you notice Arjen Robben's incredible goal, Douglas Costa's cross for Robert Lewandowski and the ball that was fed into Thomas Muller to make it 5-1? All those deliveries came from the right-hand side of the pitch – an area of the pitch Kieran Gibbs was supposed to be taking care of.
Nacho Monreal and the Englishman are both past their prime and Arsenal need someone in the mould of Kurzawa to come in and enforce a level of dominance we saw from the likes of Ashley Cole in the past. It's about time. No more excuses and no more chances.
Player(s) to replace: Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs
#3 Antonio Rudiger
Once Laurent Koscielny hobbled off for Arsenal against the Bavarians, they conceded three goals in the span of nine minutes that practically ended the UEFA Champions League tie right there. Without the Frenchman, they're rudderless, leaderless and drained of all confidence.
But how much longer can the club depend on the incredible Koscielny? He's the club's best defender by a mile and has been since the days of Sol Campbell and Martin Keown, but he's 31 now and coming to the end of his playing career.
Arsenal need to look at 23-year-old Antonio Rudiger. He’s tall, he’s mobile, he reads the game well and he's the right age. He could form a decent partnership with either Shkodran Mustafi or Rob Holding. AS Roma could demand quite a bit of money for the German international but Arsenal will know that he's worth every penny.
Player to replace: Gabriel Paulista
#2 Franck Kessié
Francis Coquelin still comes across as someone who has the desire and mental ability to win, but is often let down by his brain-freeze moments, like him trying to piggy-back on Eden Hazard to stop him from scoring a goal.
The argument that Arsenal need more bite and muscle in midfield is a valid one but Coquelin’s weak moments reflect poorly on the Gunners and he needs to be rested every now and then.
With Santi Cazorla practically out of the reckoning courtesy his continuous injury problems, they need someone else who can partner Granit Xhaka – and hopefully Jack Wilshere – in the middle of the park.
Atalanta’s Franck Kessie looks like a man on a mission to destroy oppositions’ midfield. He’s got a great engine on him and times his tackles superbly. He’s even got the physical aspects and the pace to succeed in a league like the Premier League and Arsenal will do well to sign him up.
Player(s) to replace: Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey
#1 Romelu Lukaku
Arsenal and Arsene Wenger don’t seem to trust Danny Welbeck, Lucas Perez or Olivier Giroud. They keep sticking with Alexis Sanchez up front – in his defence, he scores often for the Gunners – who is the Premier League’s most wasteful player when on the ball.
He tries too hard to make something out of tight situations and it almost always backfires. With someone big, quick and technical like Romelu Lukaku, the side will not only have a target man but someone who can keep the ball, run with it and score with ease.
He’s shown all the necessary qualities this season, and there’s nothing that the Gunners need more than someone that physical and quick, even if it means letting Alexis Sanchez leave. Sometimes, you need to take a step back if you want to progress.
Player to replace: Alexis Sanchez
