As the transfer window gets ready to open up, I thought I’d take a look at five players that wouldn’t cost Arsenal too much and that could improve their side. Should they get a few or even all of them then that would mean that there would be plenty left in the bank for Arsene Wenger to go for a star buy that would catch every Gooner’s imagination.

So I have looked at players that may be available and be brought in for a decent fee. I’ve also chosen players that would improve the squad in areas that need improved.

Serge Aurier

Mr Aurier is a self-proclaimed Arsenal fan. The Toulouse right-back could come in and compete with Carl Jenkinson for the departing Bacary Sagna’s spot in the team.

He’s young, still only twenty-one, but already has 103 appearances to his name in Ligue 1. The defender is also an Ivory Coast international and is heading to the World Cup this summer, hoping to add to his seven caps.

Serge won FFW‘s Ligue 1 young player of the year this season. He managed to grab six goals and six assists in thirty-four Ligue 1 matches.

Many have have stated he is more suited as a wing-back but I’m sure the same could have been said about Ashely Cole and Sagna who were constant threats going forward. Aurier could also be used as a makeshift centre-back if needed. His aerial ability would be a bonus when defending and attacking set pieces.

Liverpool have been credited with an interest but you just need to take a look at Serge Aurier’s twitter account to know where his loyalties lie. Talk is that Aurier has an £8m buy-out close. Obviously Wenger knows the French market well and would understand that at Lens then Toulouse, the defender has had a great footballing education.

Fraser Forster

The giant goalkeeper is currently enjoying himself in the Rio sun as he provides cover for Joe Hart at the World Cup. But when he returns from Brazil and returns to Celtic he could well be a wanted man.

With Lukas Fabianski off to Swansea that leaves Arsenal short in the keeping department. At a potential fee of around £7m, Forster would be seen as a great player to challenge Wojciech Szczęsny.

In Scotland, Fraser has kept a record amount of cleansheets and impressed the world with his Champions League performances against Barcelona. The twenty-six year old goalie being English is another bonus for the Gunners.

A proven Champions League keeper that could challenge your number one and is affordable… Now that doesn’t happen too often.

Nicolas N’Koulou

We have seen a lot of talk in the last twelve months about Thomas Vermaelen leaving the Emirates in search of more first team football. If the Belgian were allowed to leave then a replacement would need to be found to offer competition to Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.

N’Koulou would offer that competition. The former Monaco man has thirty-six caps to his name and will represent Cameroon this month in Brazil.

He had a great campaign with Marseille in 2012/13 but like most of the players at L’OM had a mixed bag season last term. According to French football writer Andrew Gibney, N’Koulou’s got a bit of pace, decent in the air and a good man-marker. Andrew went on to say that his weakness is that he sometimes loses his positioning due to a lack of concentration.

Marseille would be tempted by a bid in and a around the £9m region and that could be money well spent for a centre-back that could go on and star in the English Premier League (EPL).

Loic Remy

I have already given my opinion on why Loic Remy would be an ideal summer signing for Arsenal on this recent POST.

To sum up that article, the French forward player is cheap at £8m, can play on the wing as well as a striker, he would supply the frontline with speed unlike Oliver Giroud and Remy is also a proven goalscorer in the EPL.

Like Serge Aurier, Loic Remy is also a known Arsenal supporter.

Carlos Vela

Vela’s name is already on the walls at the Emirates. The Mexican has bagged a hat-trick at Arsenal. But he never realised his potential in North London, so he went to Sociedad and try his hand in La liga.

In Spain, the striker has bagged forty-eight goals and twenty-nine assists in three seasons.

Now Arsenal have a buy back clause of £3.2m in his contract and it would seem folly if Wenger didn’t activate that if the player has improved vastly from his time with Real Sociedad.

Atletico Madrid are also in the hunt for prolific frontman but players have egos and I’d suggest to Vela he has something to prove in England. Last season Arsenal were a lacking in numbers when it came to strikers, so why not bring back Carlos and see if he really can cut the mustard at a top team.

Posted on June 9th, 2014 by scott
Filed under: Article