Arsenal manager Mikel Artea will know that he’ll have a bit of a rebuilding job to do at the Emirates in the summer.

The rookie boss could do well if he keeps it smart and simple with certain deals.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey has been strongly linked with the Gunners all year. It’s thought that the defensive minded star has a £47m release clause (Source Goal.com) and that the Ghanian is ready to leave his current employers.

That all bodes well for Arsenal, who still need more energy, height and tackling qualities in their engine room.

Thomas has a strong passing average of above 84% in La Liga this term, wins around 2 headers per game and also 2 tackles per domestic outing too (Stats from Whoscored). He’s know for being able to win the ball and also holding onto it for his team.

Partey is rumoured to be extremely keen to join Arteta’s side (Source The Metro) and that could entice Arsenal to step up their interest.

Now it looks increasingly unlikely that Arsenal will secure a top four finish this term and that will mean no Champions League football for the Gunners next season. That will in turn severely impact on their transfer budget.

But alas maybe a deal could be done that will see forward Alexandre Lacazette move in the opposite direction. The striker has done a decent job in North London but the main goal threat comes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who Arsenal still need to tie down to a long term deal (if they can).

Los Rojiblancos are known to be long time admirers of the French striker and so a straight swap could suit all parties!

If Thomas Partey were to arrive at The Emirates, then you could imagine that Arteta would be able to free some more funds by selling off one of his current central midfielders.

Granit Xhaka has had a few nightmares since joining Arsenal in 2016. Earlier in this campaign his career in London seemed to be over after he fell out with his own supporters but his performances have vastly improved under Arteta’s guidance and I’d imagine his stay will continue beyond this summer.

Lucas Torreira is a real battler and a bit of a fan favourite but the Uruguayan international has still to win a regular place in the Arsenal starting eleven. His future remains unclear.

The biggest question mark surrounds Matteo Guendouzi. The young French middle man was extremely popular under former boss Unai Emery but his discipline has been called into question under his new gaffer.

Matteo was criticised with his antics during his side’s recent Premier League loss to Brighton. Afterwards it was reported that he made quips at opponents about their wage compared to his.

He has since been dropped by Arteta, who then confirmed it was down to an ‘internal matter‘:

“Whatever internal issue we have, we deal with it privately.

“The needs of the team and the football club are always the same – put the best players on the pitch who are 100 per cent focused on winning the game.”

Mikel Arteta via Talksport

If the Spanish coach believes Guendouzi has problems with ill discipline then it could be better off selling the youngster. Plus he’ll know that he could get a very decent price for the twenty-one year old, especially if a superpower like PSG or Barcelona are interested in his signature.

Now while The Gunners have quite a few talented young forwards on their books, you’d still expect them to bring in another central striker if Lacazette were to move to Atletico Madrid.

A potential readymade replacement could be Celtic hitman Odsonne Edouard.

The French under-21 internationalist has been in superb form for The Scottish Premiership champions since is arrival in 2017.

He has bagged 62 goals in 126 appearances for The Hoops. He’s a big game player scoring multiple times against main rivals Rangers, in Cup Finals and eleven times in Europe!

The striker can play as a solo front-man or as a partner with others. Odsonne has both pace and power. He can come deep, freeing up room for a fellow forward – ideal for someone like Aubameyang. Edouard can also run at or in behind defences. He holds the ball up well and brings others into the game.

His style and attributes aren’t too dissimilar to that of Alexandre Lacazette. Edouard’s current deal runs out in 2022, if he doesn’t sign a new one then this summer could be Celtic’s best chance of getting an optimum fee for the Frenchman.

By bringing in two players like Thomas Partey and Odsonne Edouard and selling Alexandre Lacazette and Matteo Guendouzi, Arsenal would be getting two fresh ambitious faces and players that would be eager to impress Mikel Arteta.

It could also leave a wee bit of cash in the pot for Arsenal to rectify that dodgy defence – Hint – Thiago Silva is not the answer!

Posted on July 6th, 2020 by scott
Filed under: Article