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Under Unai Emery, Arsenal is finally looking hot again, scoring quality goals and defensively solid. The Gunners are back to playing like a true top 6 club. There are only a few things needed in the team to turn them into a Champions League squad and I certainly hope that the board around their miserly investor Stan Kroenke will do the transfers to manage this change. Arsenal had a £40 million budget for players in this season, as reported by various British media outlets, which I included in my thoughts for the summer. With this money, you cannot buy superstars, but with bargain business and some great deals, a decent squad can be built around the likes of Aubameyang, Xhaka, and Lacazette.
1.Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno is much more solid and seems like the first very good goalkeeper between the sticks of the Gunners since a long time. Petr Čech decided to retire at the end of the season, which he made public in an Instagram post, and will obviously not be included in the team’s plans.
David Ospina could be a cheap buy for Napoli as they have a reported £4 million buy-option for the keeper, where the Italian club will surely pull the trigger on such a good deal.
Emiliano Martínez may also be a valid third backup for Leno, as he produces quality performances for Reading in the Championship.
Moreover, Matthew Ryan Macey's contract is running down this year. If Arsenal do not renew a contract with the player, a new 3rd keeper needs to find his way to the North of London.
A valid third option would be young talent, Christian Walton. The 22 year old, who is loaned in the Championship by Brighton, made a name of himself a name with good performances. At a market value of less than £2 million, the player would at best be a back up for Matthew Ryan, where he comes back to the top flight and could leave the club on a cheap.
2. Defence
Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Laurent Koscielny, Rob Holding, Héctor Bellerín and Sead Kolašinac all seem to be in plans for the club's future under Emery. Mavropanos should stay in the squad as a 5th option. Ainsley Maitland-Niles is a versatile option for right-back, central-midfield and even as a winger, therefore proving his relevance in the squad.
Additionally, as reported by many football databases, Jenkinson, Monreal and Lichtsteiner will all finish their contracts at the end of the season.
Shkodran Mustafi should be sold due to his inconsistency and insufficiency as a defender. He would definitely bring in some money, however, as he is an experienced Premier League defender and a World Cup winner.
Arsenal would need to get more in more depth at the fullback position and could use a player that is starting as center-back.
At left-back, Bernardo from Brighton seems like the perfect fit. He is tall and fast and retains good technicality. Throwing in 3.3 tackles and making 2.8 interceptions per game, the player puts up very good defensive numbers in a relegation-threatened team. The Brazilian is not an undisputed starter on the side (surprisingly), playing only half of the games. Under this circumstances, Bernardo would be available for a reasonable amount (£10-15 million).
At right-back, a considerable option should be Nathaniel Clyne. The English player is loaned to Bournemouth from Liverpool until the end of the season. The experienced 27 year old player could be a good backup-option for Bellerin, who is known for his weak knees. Only valued at £5 million, the player could leave the Reds for under £10 million, which is a fair for such a well-rounded player.
In the center of the defense, Matthias Ginter is a must buy. He is quality on the ball, having a passing accuracy of 87.4% and playing 4.3 long balls a game. The German is also very good defensively, being only dribbled past 0.2 times per 90. Those numbers definitely justify the player's value of around £25-30 million. Another rare aspect is that he can play on both fullback positions.
3. Midfield
Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira were the two preferred starters, especially since Ramsey is leaving to Juventus on a free at the end of the year.
Behind them, Mattéo Guendouzi is waiting for his chance to impress at the Emirates whereas Elneny should be sold. If the sale of the Egyptian happens, another player is needed in the squad to fill the big gap Ramsey's departure will leave.
The best option is already on the team’s sheet: Calum Chambers. As one of the best players for Fulham this season, the Englishman would fit the bill to replace Torreira in case of injury or ban.
A fifth option needs to be Ismaël Bennacer. Arsenal apparently have a quite low buy-back clause for the player, who is ruling the midfield for Empoli. His biggest strength there is his passing, with an accuracy of 86%.
I believe that both Mesut Özil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be sold in the summer. The duo should be able to be leave the club for around £20-30 million each. This would also free up a big chunk of the wage budget.
I see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alex Iwobi as the left-wing options, while Denis Suarez should be loaned in again for one more year.
On the right, Reiss Nelson has to be brought back into the squad to back up the right-winger. With Emile-Smith Rowe, the team also has a third backup for both offensive sides.
For the number 10 role, Pablo Fornals of Villareal FC is a must-buy. 1.6 key passes a game, combined with only 1 dispossession per 90, shows what kind of player the 23 year old is. He also has decent defensive workrate, with 1.2 tackles a game. Having a reported £17.8 million release clause in his contract, the player seems like a bargain for the market of today.
As a right-winger, I could see Douglas Costa joining the Gunners. Having one of the worst seasons of his career, Costa could leave the Bianconeri for around £25-30 million, which would be great business from Arsenal for the 28 years old.
4. Attack
Alexandre Lacazette is set to be the main striker for Arsenal this season. Danny Welbeck should also find a space in the teame. Despite being injury prone, his experience can always help the squad.
Che Adams is the last transfer on this list. The striker already banged in 21 Championship goals in this season, and at only 22 years old, the pacey striker still has plenty of potential in him. Adams is also able to play on the wing, which could make him valuable for the further campaign. Birmingham seem to value him at £10-15 million, which makes him look like a true bargain.
This is how the team sheet would look like after such a summer:
GK: Leno, Martinez, Walton (HG)
RB: Bellerin (HG), Clyne (HG), Maitland-Niles (HG)
CB: Sokratis, Ginter, Holding (HG), Koscielny, Mavropanos
LB: Kolasinac, Bernardo
CDM: Xhaka, Guendouzi, Torreira, Chambers (HG), Bennacer
RW: Costa, Nelson (HG)
CAM: Fornals, Suarez
LW: Aubameyang, Iwobi (HG)
ST: Lacazette, Adams (HG), Welbeck (HG)
Bold: New transfers, (HG): Homegrown
All the transfer values came from CIES, combined with the price listed on transfermartk.co.uk and the players standing in the club.
