The old saying of ‘when one door closes another door opens’ appears to be seamlessly transitioned to football with the replacement of door for window. With the January transfer window closed, talk of what clubs will be doing in the summer transfer window has begun already.
Arsenal did not bring any players into the senior side in January for the second half of the Premier League campaign. Some believe this has led to the possibility of a major summer spend on the horizon and The Sun reports that the club will look to sign Alexander Isak, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ruben Neves for a combined £180 million should they qualify for the Champions League.
Whether this is the case remains to be seen but it has got The Arsenal Way discussing whether this is the correct way to spend such an amount. Below, the team have broken down their way of investing the money into the squad if they were given a ‘war chest’ for the summer. Player fees included are via Transfermarkt and media reports.
Tom Canton – Arsenal Fan Brands Writer & Presenter – Total Spend: £157.8m
Noussair Mazraoui – Ajax – 24 – Free
The Ajax right-back Noussair Mazraoui will leave the Dutch club on a free in the summer. Arsenal should look to snap up the Moroccan international who has five goals and two assists in his 16 Eredivisie matches this season. A great alternative option to Takehiro Tomiyasu and gives Mikel Arteta a greater offensive choice in his right full-back position.
Mattias Svanberg – Bologna – 23 - £15m
The Swedish international has already been linked with a move to Arsenal. Hailing from Bologna, where Arsenal bought Tomiyasu, the clubs already have an established relationship. Mattias Svanberg is a great depth option to replace and upgrade on the outgoing Mohamed Elneny. Able to play in any of the three midfield roles, his versatility would be a welcome addition. Three goals and two assists this Serie A season come as a bonus.
Tyler Adams – RB Leipzig – 22 - £32.5m
Another versatile and quality central midfielder who can also play right midfield and right back. Tyler Adams is an increasingly appreciated player that too has been linked to Arsenal already. He has a £32.5m release clause which makes him an accessible capture and as the captain of the USMNT, he has plenty of additional leadership qualities to bring the Arsenal side.
Ismaila Sarr – Watford – 23 - £24.3m
Relegated once with Watford, it is unlikely the Senegalese winger would again want to go down and therefore could be available for a cut-price fee close to his £24.3m Transfermarkt valuation. Five goals in just 12 games due to injury, should Nicolas Pepe leave, Ismaila Sarr could fill the spot brilliantly and fits the age bracket nicely for the group Arteta is cultivating.
Jonathan David – Lille – 22 - £46m
Ligue 1’s star player outside of PSG, Jonathan David has continued his excellent development after leaving Gent in Belgium and has now 25 goals in 50 appearances in the French League. He can play as a lone striker or paired with another, playing off the fellow forward in a second striker style role. His clinical finishing and link-up play would be the upgrade on Alexandre Lacazette that Arsenal has needed.
Patrik Schick – Bayer Leverkusen – 26 - £40m
Since taking the European Championships by storm for the Czech Republic, Patrik Schick has gone from strength to strength. 18 goals in 17 Bundesliga games this season, plus three assists, means only Robert Lewandowski is ahead of him in the top scorer lists. Bayer Leverkusen have brought in Sardar Azmoun from Zenit St Petersburg this winter meaning the German side could be tempted into selling for the reported £40 million asking price.
Schick has plenty of the physical characteristics Arsenal liked in the failed pursuit of Dusan Vlahovic and could push to sign the former Roma man before further interest increases in the 26-year-old.
Chris Davison - Arsenal Fan Brands Content Editor - Total Spend: £124.2m
Tariq Lamptey - Brighton - 21 - £16.2m
Quick, skilful, hardworking and a threat going forward, Lamptey impresses me every time I watch him play. He has bounced back strongly without encountering any more issues since suffering a serious hamstring injury earlier on in the season. I think he carries the perfect attitude and attributes to have a similar role to Nuno Tavares, ultimately providing Takehiro Tomiyasu with competition for that starting role in the team. Tariq would also have good chemistry with Ben White after playing alongside him.
Boubacar Kamara - Marseille - 22 - Free
Currently playing alongside Arsenal loanees Matteo Guendouzi and William Saliba in Ligue 1, the young French talent can operate as both a central defensive midfielder and centre back. He would be a great replacement for the likes of Mohamed Elneny and Pablo Mari were they to leave permanently. Arsenal would have their backline sorted when Gabriel and Ben White don't play, allowing Kamara to link back up with Saliba. A good passer, strong in the air and tough to get past, it's no surprise to hear several top clubs are looking at him with his contract set to expire in June.
Ruben Neves - Wolves - 24 - £36m
I don't quite understand why people turn their noses up at this guy. Premier League proven, technically gifted, a threat in front of goal and most importantly - reliable. You hardly ever hear about him putting a foot wrong, Wolves fans love him and what impresses me the most is that he was handed the captains armband at Porto aged just 18-years-old. Clearly a natural leader, Neves would be a perfect fit to help guide a young team under Mikel Arteta.
Antony - Ajax - 21 - £31.5m
With Nicolas Pepe's future uncertain, a winger might end up being a must in the summer and Antony is a really exciting option. It's great having one Gabriel Martinelli at the club, but what about getting a more established version to go alongside him? The Brazilian left-footer has scored 9 goals and provided 7 assists for the Dutch side in all competitions so far this season, highlighting just how dangerous he is in front of goal. With former Gunner Marc Overmars the current director of football at Ajax, maybe we can look to use a positive relationship to our advantage.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin - Everton - 24 - £40.5m
There are many talented strikers out there but due to how crucial this position is in particular, I suppose I've played it relatively safe. Calvert-Lewin knows where the back of the net is and his stats prove it. 16 goals in 31 appearances last season and three in six this campaign, he is someone that is only going to get stronger. Can those numbers improve? Absolutely, but with even more quality around him at Arsenal, I think he can score goals for fun whilst offering something a bit different to his predecessors.
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