Arsenal’s season has turned from a dream into a nightmare in a matter of few weeks. The Gunners have lost 6 out of their last 9 fixtures and any hopes of a silverware are fading as fast as their hopes for a first Premier League title in 13 years came to an abrupt halt.
The North London outfit need a massive overhaul of the squad, in addition to a change at the helm and possibly the backroom ahead of the upcoming season. Whether Arsene Wenger should continue as the manager or who should replace him is a topic for another day and today we look at the 5 players who Emirates stadium outfit can sign to challenge for top honours once again.
#1 Yannick Carrasco
The Atletico Madrid forward has made a name for himself as one of best upcoming wingers in world football right now. The 23-year-old has pace to burn and an abundance of trickery to breeze past defenders and cause havoc on the wings.
With 12 goals and 5 assists so far in the season, Carrasco has been one of the positives in what has been a rather dismal season for Diego Simeone’s side. The Gunners have struggled for creativity on the wings due to the propensity of current wingers Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott – even Alex Iwobi – to drift in. This forces the full-backs to provide width to Arsene Wenger’s side during attack.
The signing of Carrasco will help sort the issue while providing some much-needed creativity on the wings and width during attack. It has been reported that the Gunners have been on the lookout for a winger for a long time with names such as Riyad Mahrez often been linked with the Gunners. While Mahrez does have the x-factor and has Premier League experience his worrying dip in form could force the Gunners to look elsewhere.
#2 Ricardo Rodriguez
Ricardo Rodriguez has been linked with a plethora of top clubs across England. The Wolfsburg left-back has a mean left foot and is a serious threat from set-pieces too. Arsenal currently have Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs in their ranks to fulfill the role at left-back but Monreal is 31-years old and has shown signs of aging while Gibbs has proven more often that not that he is not good enough for a top European club.
Rodriguez has caught the eye of many top clubs across Europe with his consistent performances for the Volkswagen Arena outfit and given their abysmal form this season – Wolfsburg currently sit one place and two points clear of the relegation zone – it is highly likely that the Swiss would leave the Bundesliga outfit in the summer. The Gunners should cash in on the opportunity to sign him but will have to fend off interest from other top European clubs.
#3 Adrien Rabiot
Arsenal’s need for a good defensive midfielder is there for all to see. Arsene Wenger even splashed the cash in the summer to recruit Granit Xhaka from Borussia Mönchengladbach for a fee in the region of £30 m but the 24-year-old has flattered to deceive.
The Swiss international’s propensity to dive into rash challenges and get sent off subsequently has cost the Gunners dearly. Mohammed Elneny and Francis Coquelin are two other options currently available to Arsene Wenger. However, there are question marks regarding the former’s ability to influence games at the grandest of stage, Coquelin is just not good enough for a team of Arsenal’s stature.
The Frenchman lacks the vision, discipline or the footballing acumen to be a working and contributing member of a team that relies on short quick passes as neither is he quick, nor is he capable of short passes. The Gunners should definitely offload the 25-year-old and rope in PSG star Adrien Rabiot instead.
The 21-year-old is a viable option for the defensive midfielder role and is very disciplined apart from being an accomplished passer. The Frenchman was stellar in PSG’s 4-0 demolition of Barcelona at the Parc des Princes and has a huge room for improvement.
#4 Andrea Belotti
Arsenal’s hunt for a world-class striker to fill in the boots of Robin van Persie and other super-strikers before him have gone in vain so far. Arsene Wenger has brought in a number of players but they have all failed to provide the goals that a team like Arsenal needs. Olivier Giroud is an excellent back-up while there are question marks over the consistency and fitness of Danny Welbeck.
New signing Lucas Perez has not been afforded the opportunity to showcase his talents but given the constant injury crisis at the club and Wenger's reluctance to trust the former Deportivo man with the job highlights that he may not be good enough to lead the line.
A striker of the mould of Andrea Belotti would be perfect to propel the Gunners to the next level and may help end the wait for a first Premier League title in 13 years. The Italian has notched up 24 goals along with 4 assists in 29 appearances this season but that is not why he is special.
Not only can the 23-year-old create chances out of nothing, he is an equally adept finisher with either foot and his head, someone who could bury the host of chances that Arsenal’s midfield creates in a game. Belotti is reported to have a €100 million buyout clause in his contract and while that it too much money, the Gunners can try to get him for slightly less than that given that the Italian has a good 8-10 years of top level football left in him.
#5 Sergio Aguero
While Belotti would be a great buy for the Gunners, nothing quite comes close like signing one of the best players from a direct rival, and if that player is Sergio Aguero then that is just the icing on the cake.
Aguero is facing an uncertain future at Manchester City following the arrival of Pep Guardiola at the helm of the club. The Spaniard has made it clear that Gabriel Jesus is his first-choice striker and a striker of Aguero’s caliber will not play second fiddle to anyone.
It is most likely that the Argentine would move in the summer and the Gunners need to pounce on this opportunity. Arsenal and Manchester City have an excellent working relationship given the transfer of so many stars from North London to Manchester and it is time the Gunners take advantage of this relationship and lure the Argentine to the Emirates stadium.
Aguero has the pace, finishing and footballing intelligence to thrive in a team that plays possession football and he would a more than perfect partner for Mesut Ozil, who can thrive off the ludicrous through balls of the German.
