Time is of the essence for Arsenal in the transfer market as sporting director Edu is facing the hard truth and impact of missing out on primary attacking targets Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk. The pair have both joined tenth-placed Chelsea after the Gunners stuck to their principles in the market regarding player valuation.
What both share in common is their age profile and attacking roles in the team. Arsenal need to reinforce this area having lost Gabriel Jesus to injury and looking thin in the wide areas, particularly on the right flank.
Due to missing out on their primary option, Arsenal recognise that finding a player who fits perfectly into their vision of what they want for the team and who can give both immediate and long-term impact is a challenge. Therefore, if there remains the determination to reinforce now, compromises will need to be made.
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With Mudryk out it might be that a player outside the age bracket that the club has made its name on recently could come to the fore. There are two names in particular that are being discussed throughout the fan base with even some reports linking the Gunners to one.
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Firstly, is Leandro Trossard. The Belgian international arrived at Brighton some time ago but has fully transitioned to the Premier League.
He has scored against the Gunners, netting the first of two in Brighton’s damaging victory over Arsenal at the end of last season. He has also scored against plenty of other big sides too making his profile an attractive one.
What is less attractive are both his age, 28, and his recent reputation being damaged after a falling out with manager Roberto De Zerbi. Any investment is unlikely to see any value maintained with him reaching the end of his prime years despite a lengthy contract potentially being asked for.
Arsenal have supposedly been offered the chance to sign Trossard. Brighton have reportedly turned down a £12million bid from Tottenham already for the wide man and want around double this.
The second option is Wilfried Zaha. The now Ivorian international is the talismanic figure at Crystal Palace, who has flirted with a potential move to the Gunners throughout his career in south London.
A switch to Manchester United early in his days at the senior level never worked out but he returned to Palace and became one of the league’s most dangerous wide players. Now 30 however and he is reaching the end of his peak in the game.
That said, he has maintained a strong output in the English topflight and with just six months left on his deal a short-term contract with the option to extend could work in the Gunners' favour. He’d now doubt provide an immediate impact and not need much, if any, time to adapt to the club.
Both options however require Arsenal to swerve from the path of investing in young players exclusively. There has been a willingness to sign players in the bracket of their mid-twenties such as Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, but the most recent outfield player older than them was Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares in 2020. It will be intriguing to see who, if anyone, ends up arriving.
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