Arsenal were unable to sign a winger in the summer transfer window, despite the clear need to strengthen in the wide areas. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have a lot of pressure to perform until the next opportunity to address this area of the pitch opens.
One player who the club were reportedly looking to sign in the summer transfer window was Rafael Leao. But, due to the heavy price tag and Arsenal failing to qualify for the Champions League this season, it made a potential transfer difficult to complete.
However, with, Arsenal’s excellent progress in the Premier League this season, the Gunners have another chance to test Leao’s resolve. The north London side are not the only Premier League club reportedly interested in the winger, which means that Edu will need to be proactive.
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According to ESPN, Manchester United have included Leao and Cody Gakpo on their shortlist of potential signings in January to replace Cristiano Ronaldo. Both players have been of interest to Arsenal leading up to previous transfer windows.
Arsenal reportedly registered interest in Leao early last season as Italian outlet La Repubblica claimed that Arsenal had turned their attention to the AC Milan forward for the summer transfer window. It is a deal that Edu could look to revisit, as Arsenal could be short in the wing positions going into next season.
The Portuguese attacker had 13 goals and seven assists for Milan last season, and would certainly add more quality to Arsenal’s frontline. What makes him more of a desirable signing is that he can feature on either the wing position or as a lone forward, which highlights his versatility.
His excellent performances last season helped his Milan side win the scudetto and beat their fierce rivals Inter Milan to first place. Leao's importance to this trophy was highlighted by the fact that he won Serie A player of the season.
However, the wingers have been excellent throughout the season and are a major reason why the Gunners currently top the Premier League. Martinelli and Saka have both scored five goals this season, which is an impressive statistic considering they are scoring from wide areas.
But for the youngsters to keep this level of performance and intensity in the future, there will be times when they will need rest. With a lack of depth in quality in the wide areas, this has not been the case for Saka or Martinelli, with Arteta forced to play both in the Europa League group stage this season due to a lack of options.
With the Gunners projected to finish in a Champions League qualification spot next season, it is important that depth is added to the forward areas. Leao would certainly be an excellent acquisition and Arsenal are putting themselves in a great position to secure a deal for him.
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