Arsenal need signings in three positions this summer

While Arsenal fans may have been giddy this past week after the Gunners beat Liverpool and Manchester City in quick succession, those who took a pause to consider things will know that there is still a lot of work to do before the club can even think of competing with those two clubs at the top of the table. Mikel Arteta has managed to bring his identity and style of play onto the pitch in the last few games, but there are still quite a few issues which need to be solved. Arsenal are not quite the finished product yet; they are a work-in-progress and there are a few pieces which will need to be filled in by making transfers in the summer. That is not expected to be an easy task either, as Arsenal are unlikely to have too much money to spend, and so will have to depend on canny negotiations and cheap transfers to fulfill Arteta’s needs.

According to reports, the Spaniard wants to sign a centre-back, central midfielder and an attacking midfielder this summer. The first of these makes complete sense, as Arsenal have been shambolic at the back, and there are too many individual errors being made by the existing defenders. The likes of David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi always have a mistake lurking, even after they have shown improved form in the last few matches, while Sokratis has gone completely out of favour. French youngster William Saliba is joining in the summer, but he cannot be expected to take up all of the defensive burden on his shoulders, being just 19 years old. Thus, the Gunners do need to bring in someone in that part of the pitch, ideally an experienced player who can slot in immediately.

In midfield, Lucas Torreira and Mateo Guendouzi are both likely to leave, and with question marks over whether the club can secure Dani Ceballos, either on another loan deal or in a permanent move, there is a definite need for a deep midfielder who is good on the ball, but at the same time can do his defensive work. Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey is the top target in this position, and that is a transfer saga to keep your eyes out for, with even the best bettors and caxino review operators being unable to tell you if that deal will go through or not.

Finally, there is a hole in attacking midfield as well, particularly as Mesut Ozil doesn’t look like having Arteta’s trust. The German playmaker has only been on the bench once since the league restarted, despite being fully fit, and all signs point towards a parting of the ways this summer. Ozil’s huge wages could make any sale extremely difficult though, and at the same time, Arsenal will be looking to bring in an attacking midfielder to service the strikers up front. This is likely to be the most difficult task facing the Gunners’ hierarchy in the transfer window, and even if they only manage to get Ozil’s wages off the books, it will be considered a victory.