There is a lot of work to be done at the Emirates Stadium this summer as Mikel Arteta looks to defend the Premier League title and finally win the Champions League.
Andrea Berta needs to give the Arsenal squad another lick of new paint this summer. Despite having spent about £250m on new players last year, the Gunners are expected to splash the cash again as Mikel Arteta looks to get his hands on some more silverware.
Not only does the Spaniard, who’s spent about £930m during his six-and-a-half-year spell in the dugout, want to defend the Premier League title, but he also plans on taking another stab at the Champions League. With Manchester City and Liverpool eager to dethrone Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur splashing the cash, Arteta knows he’ll have his work cut out next season.
Speaking to reporters at the end of last season, the Gunners boss outlined his plan for the summer. He said: “First of all, I will take a few days with my family, and then we will start the process to review what we have done.
“We will have to start making some very important decisions if we want to reach another level. We are going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it is going to demand us to be very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”
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Pre-season is just around the corner, and Arsenal are yet to welcome any new faces to the Sobha Realty Training Centre. Before they know it, the new Premier League season will be underway, so Berta needs to get a move on.
So, with plenty of work to be done in the summer transfer window, football.london has built the dream Arsenal 25-man squad.
Goalkeepers
This summer, Berta needs to offload Kepa Arrizabalaga and sign a new deputy to David Raya. Yann Sommer, who’s available on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract at Inter Milan last month, would be a good addition to any squad in Europe’s top-five leagues.
Without blocking the pathway of Tommy Setford or any other young goalkeeper at the club looking for more opportunities, the 37-year-old would bolster Arteta’s options between the sticks, bringing quality and great experience to the dressing room.
Defenders
Last season, Arsenal boasted the best defensive record in both the Premier League and the Champions League, so Arteta should only make a few minor adjustments at the back. This summer, the Spaniard should begin by making Myles Lewis-Skelly a permanent member of the midfield department, leaving Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie to compete for minutes at left-back.
Meanwhile, at right-back, the Gunners look to sign a new right-back to replace Ben White, who wasn’t available nearly enough as much as he or Arteta would’ve hoped last season. Ezri Konsa, despite being a centre-half on paper, would be a great addition; he fits the profile of an ‘Arsenal full-back’.
Midfielders
In the middle of the park, Arsenal have the chance to add two new starters in Morgan Rogers and Bruno Guimaraes. The former would pile the pressure on Martin Odegaard to offer more value in the final third, while the latter would be a more fitting partner to Declan Rice in the double pivot.
Fowards
The Arsenal frontline needs open-heart surgery. If the Gunners are to mount another bid for the Premier League title and go the distance in the Champions League, Berta will need to make some ruthless decisions.
Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Leandro Trossard have all recently entered the final 12 months of their respective contracts with Arsenal, so they should be offloaded to recuperate a fee. Reiss Nelson, for his sake as much as the Gunners’, needs to find a new home, too.
There would be no shame in selling Viktor Gyokeres, either. Despite glimpses of promise, the 28-year-old striker largely fell short of expectations last season, and Arsenal need to cut its losses – especially if it then opens the door to the arrival of Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid.
As for Arteta’s wide options, Eberechi Eze should be considered as a left-winger. By recognising the former Crystal Palace talisman as a player who prefers the ball to feet, the Gunners could then sign an alternative profile in Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain.
Arteta can build dream Arsenal squad
If Berta can streamline the squad, bolster the attack, and generally raise the floor at the Emirates Stadium, Arteta will be more than equipped to defend the Premier League title next season, and possibly mount a bid for the Champions League.
So, with that being said, the dream Arsenal 25-man squad could look something like this;
Goalkeepers: David Raya, Yann Sommer (on a free transfer), and Tommy Setford.
Defenders: Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie, Gabriel Magalhaes, Marli Salmon, William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, Jurrien Timber, and Ezri Konsa (from Aston Villa).
Midfielders: Martin Odegaard, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Morgan Rogers (from Aston Villa), Mikel Merino, Declan Rice, Bruno Guimaraes (from Newcastle United), and Martin Zubimendi.
Forwards: Eberechi Eze, Bradley Barcola (from Paris Saint-Germain), Kai Havertz, Julian Alvarez (from Atletico Madrid), Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, and Max Dowman.
