Arsenal has a hectic summer transfer window planned. The north London club are presently fourth in the Premier League, two points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. If Mikel Arteta’s side finish above Spurs, they will qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season, a tournament they haven’t qualified for in the past five years.
Qualifying for Europe’s premier league will surely effect their football transfer deals.
london understands the Gunners want to add an attacker, a central midfielder, and a backup full-back this summer.
Arsenal are interested in both Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry, according to transfer analyst Gianluca Di Marzio.
Football.london reports that Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus is on the club’s transfer shortlist, with a £35million deal deemed to be enough to secure his services this summer. The CIES Football Observatory values Gnabry and Tchouameni at €90-120m (£75-100m).
The Gunners may not spend big money on all three rumoured targets this summer, but football.london examines how they may line up with them.
4-3-3 system
Arteta has chosen a 4-3-3 style since the start of the year, with Thomas Partey at the foundation of midfield and Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard farther forward in the number eight positions. The Gunners now have better balance in the middle of the pitch and are more dangerous in transition, scoring more goals.
Tchouameni’s flexibility means he could easily play no.6 or no.8 depending on Thomas Partey’s health and availability. A front three of Gnabry, Jesus, and Bukayo Saka offers an uncommon mix of goal threat, ball retention, and counter-attacking pace.
Pivot midfield
Arteta typically uses a double pivot in midfield, a function Xhaka excels at. Considering Partey’s fitness difficulties, rotating the midfield will be crucial next season.
A midfield of Xhaka and Tchouameni gives stability and ball movement, and might be a strong option against top-six opponents. In Ligue 1, he has made 3.08 tackles and 3.38 interceptions per 90 minutes.
Combine that with his passing skills (5.65 progressive passes per 90) and you can understand why Real Madrid and Liverpool are supposedly interested. The inverted wide forwards Gnabry and Saka prefer to cut in and shoot with their powerful foot, while Jesus can drop deep and bring others into action.
