Arsenal 20/21 Squad: the start of the remontada

[A Thread]

First of all I want to start off by saying I know I have done a somewhat similar thread on this when Arteta was first announced as Arsenal manager, but a lot of things have changed since, so I felt like making a new one. Enjoy the read, it’s probably going to be another long one

Starting off with our current squad, and the first position that comes up are the goalkeepers:

Bernd Leno
Emiliano Martínez
Matt Macey

Although he might be somewhat lacking in the distribution department, Bernd Leno is an amazing shot stopper who has saved us on numerous occasions this season. He seems to be back from injury before the start of next season and there is no need to replace him.

During Leno’s absence so far, Martínez has filled our goalkeeper spot. And boy did he impress, keeping 2 clean sheets and only conceding a fluky goal against Sheffield. He’s been a perfect servant of the club and a good backup to have. No need to sell.

And now onto the for rival fans probably unknown Matt Macey. Having made only 2 appearances so far in his 7 years at the club, Macey has merely been a number on bench on the occasional team sheet. I don’t think he has a future at the club and should be moved on.

Moving on to our current defenders, starting off with our centre backs:

David Luiz
Sokratis
Pablo Marí
Shkodran Mustafi
Rob Holding
Calum Chambers

Starting off with David Luiz, having recently signed a one year extension he’ll be at the club for at least another year. That being said, it’s not bad to have some experience in the dressing room, and helping develop our younger centre backs. I expect him to be a backup at best

Sokratis up next. Entering the final year of his contract, and turning 33 this summer, Sokratis’ Arsenal career is coming to an end if it were up to me. His ability on the ball simply isn’t good enough, and he makes quite a lot of mistakes defensively. He should be sold.

It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Arteta likes to have a left footed cb, and Marí was an affordable, short term fix. In the few games he’s played before his injury he looked very solid, but he hasn’t been tested enough to properly judge. He’ll be good squad depth.

Shkodran Mustafi has arguably been our best centre back since the arrival of Mikel. His professionalism and work ethic have been outstanding. Although he might not be first team quality, especially for a team aiming for top 4, he definitely still has a place in our squad.

‘I’m sorry Rob Holding didn’t cost 55 million’. Rob Holding has been very solid at times, but he hasn’t set the world alight and injuries have held back his Arsenal career a lot. With him only being 24, and IF he manages to stay fit, he’s definitely good squad depth.

And finally, Calum Chambers. Starting off the 19/20 season very strong, Chambers proved to be a very versatile player. Picking up a long term injury, we will have to see how he performs when he’s back, but he can be of great use to Arteta next season if we’re on a limited budget

Time for the fullbacks:

Hector Bellerin
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Cédric Soares
Kieran Tierney
Sead Kolasinac

Recovering from a long term injury, Hector Bellerin has not been the player he once was, as he lost a lot of pace. Hector also seems to refuse to play in Nicolas Pépé or make overlapping runs. If a good offer comes in, I think it’s time he gets moved on.

I know it’s not his natural position, but if Ainsley Maitland-Niles accept his new role as a full back he can play a big part in Arsenals future. He proved his worth as a fullback this season, allowing our wingers to flourish in the process. Definitely worth keeping if he adapts.

Time for another new addition to the squad, Cédric Soares. Having signed for Arsenal in January, he’s hasn't made many minutes so far due to injury. The minutes he did play have been very solid. Arteta must have seen something in him in training, because he signed a 4 year deal.

Moving on to arguably our bargain of the season, Kieran Tierney. Even though he has been unlucky with injuries, he’s already shown his absolute class. He also has some great leadership qualities, something we’ve lacked for some time now. Will be in the team for years to come.

And last, and arguably least, our very own hulk Sead Kolasinac. Kolasinac has fallen behind Tierney in our picking order, and might even be behind Saka at this point. Since he’s getting paid over 100k per week, I’m very fond of moving him on as he’s simply not good enough.

And now our midfielders:

Dani Ceballos
Mesut Özil
Lucas Torreira
Granit Xhaka
Joe Willock
Matteo Guendouzi

Starting off with the man from Real Madrid, Dani Ceballos. I think it’s quite safe to say Ceballos hasn’t impressed during his loan spell at Arsenal. Apart from a masterclass against Burnley early in the season, he hasn’t done much. Shouldn’t try to get him on a permanent deal.

Next up is a controversial one, Mesut Özil. Having been a loyal servant of the club for many years, he’s won countless fans hearts. That being said, he hasn’t been close to his best for a couple of years now. If we can find a club mad enough to pay his wages we should let him go.

Moving on to Lucas Torreira. Another player who’s been unlucky with injuries this season, Torreira has been very good for us in the time he’s been at the club, and he can still play a part in our future success. However, if a good offer comes in we should consider selling him.

Granit Xhaka, like him or don’t, but he’s so important to the way we play. He also has, like Tierney, a leadership quality we’re severely lacking. I haven’t been the biggest fan of him at times, but he has to be part of our future. No reason to sell him at this point.

Time for our hale end Iniesta, aka Joe Willock. Willock has been given a lot of game time since Arteta came in, partially due to our injury problems, and he has been far from bad, being great in moving the ball up the field to create chances. Will be good squad depth minimum.

And finally, sideshow Bob’s lovechild. Reports have been going around that Arteta isn’t a fan of his attitude as of late, and some of the biggest clubs have been monitoring the situation. We could use the money, but I still think it’s worth holding on to IF he fixes his attitude.

Moving on to probably the most interesting part of our team, the attack:

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Alexandre Lacazette
Nicolas Pépé
Gabriel Martinelli
Bukayo Saka
Reiss Nelson
Eddie Nketiah

Starting off with the man who just hit 50 Premier League goals in 4 less games than Henry, Aubameyang. Auba has easily been our best player this year, banging in goals left right and centre. Although he is yet to sign a contract extension, I’m confident we can keep hold of him.

Next up, our POTY from last year, Alexandre Lacazette. There have been a lot of mixed opinions on Laca, who is struggling to perform this season, and he’s been getting benched often this season. Although he’s still class, I think we should move him on if a good offer comes in.

Pépé is next on the list. Having had a slow start to his Arsenal career, Pépé has been the recipient of a lot of criticism, but he has massively improved since Arteta came in. Pépé is currently 2nd for most g/a this season. Definitely a player we should build our team around.

A second shout for bargain of the season goes to Gabriel Martinelli. Coming from the 4th tier of Brazilian football, Martinelli has made the step up to the PL with ease. Having picked up an injury, we won’t see him play again this season, but he’s definitely one for the future.

It’s time for the biggest Hale End product in years, Bukayo Saka. Saka just signed a contract extension that ties him down to the club for the foreseeable future. Already proven he can play in multiple positions, he will be of big value for the club and ‘Project Arteta’.

Reiss Nelson might have gone slightly under the radar this season. Coming back from a positive loan spell in Germany, there were some expectations for Nelson to play a bigger role at the club this season. Mikel seems to like him, but he needs more gametime. Loan him to a PL team.

Eddie Nketiah got recalled from loan at Leeds because of a lack of gametime, and Mikel wanted to keep him at the club. Clearly having impressed Arteta this season, Eddie has worked his way into our starting XI, and performed really well. Should definitely be kept at the club.

We also have some players still out on loan:

Konstantinos Mavropanos
William Saliba
Mohamed Elneny
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Emile Smith Rowe

Starting off with Dinos. Having been at the club since january 2018, Mavropanos hasn’t had a proper chance at first team football, and I think that's mainly down to a lack of ability. He got loaned out before Arteta joined,but he still should be sold in my opinion.

Time to discuss the Mbappé of centre backs. William Saliba looked absolutely amazing at St. Etienne this season, and can definitely solve some of our defensive issues. That being said, he’s only 19 and we can’t put too much pressure on him. Will be the future of our defence.

The best Egyptian in the league, currently on loan at Besiktas, Mohamed Elneny is next on the list. All jokes aside, Elneny got loaned out for a reason, won’t get proper playing time and simply isn’t good enough. Should be sold in the summer.

Next up is Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Enjoying a good loan spell in Italy, Mkhi has confirmed he wants to stay. Since AS Roma don’t want to meet Arsenal’s demands, Mkhitaryan has decided to terminate his Arsenal contract and join Roma on a free. Arsenal will receive ~8m pounds.

And finally, Emile Smith Rowe. Currently performing very well at Huddersfield, Emile has proven that he deserves a proper chance at the club next season. Being able to play out wide and in a 10/8 role, Smith Rowe will be of good use to our squad next season. The future is bright.

Now it’s time to look at some possible transfers, starting off with our outgoing ones:

Macey: £100k
Sokratis: £8m
Kolasinac: £12m
Bellerin: £30m
Özil: £8m (pay part of his wages)
Guendouzi: £45m
Lacazette: £35m
Mavropanos: £2m
Elneny: £4m
Mkhitaryan: £8m

Funds raised: ~£152m

IF we sold all those players, which is quite unlikely in 1 window, our current squad depth would look like this, meaning we would need a new:

Centre back
Rightback (Optional)
Midfielder (x2)
Striker / Left winger

And now it’s time for the good stuff, the possible incoming transfers, starting off with our centre back targets:

Dayot Upamecano
Pau Torres
Gabriel Magalhães
Thiago Silva
Axel Disasi
Malang Sarr

Dayot Upamecano has been linked to Arsenal for a while now. The young French centre back has impressed during his time at RB Leipzig so far, and it’s definitely understandable why Arsenal are after him. Should be available for £35-40 mill. https://twitter.com/R24AFC/status/1278940694933934081?s=20

As I mentioned earlier, Mikel is a big fan of having a left footed centre back in the LCB spot, and Pau Torres would be a great signing. Torres reportedly starting learning English some time ago. At 23, he would be a class signing and he has a £43m release clause.

Another highly sought after transfer target is Gabriel Magalhães. The Lille centre back impressed a lot of topclubs with his stellar season in France, including Arsenal. He is reportedly available for roughly £25-30m with Everton, Napoli and Spurs interested in the player as well

Thiago Silva has been linked with Arsenal on a free transfer this summer as well. The 35 year old centre back is set to leave PSG, and Arsenal are one of the clubs interested in his signature. He would have to take a huge pay cut for me to even consider it a good signing.

Axel Disasi is a young French centre back playing for Stade Reims. Disasi seems to be destined to leave Reims when the season ends, with a number of clubs interested. Would be a cheaper option at £12m. https://twitter.com/charles_watts/status/1251519467080777729?s=20

Malang Sarr will be out of contract at the end of the season, and the 21 year old French centre back should definitely be on Arsenal’s radar. Being left footed he is also comfortable playing at leftback and he would add good depth to our squad. On a free as well so can’t go wrong

Moving on to some rightback targets, something that shouldn’t be our priority as we speak:

Max Aarons
Jeremy Ngakia

With Norwich bound to be relegated, Max Aarons should be available for a reduced fee. As I said, rightback shouldn’t be our priority, but Aarons could fill the position for years to come. Should expect to have some serious competition for his signature this summer.

Another player out of contract this summer is 19 year old West Ham rightback Jeremy Ngakia. Ngakia gets described as a ‘Strong and speedy, composed and hard-working 19 year old’. As a free signing for squad depth you can’t really go wrong, but I’m unsure if he’s Arsenal quality.

Time to look at some of our midfield targets:

Thomas Partey
Houssem Aouar
Dominik Szoboszlai
Jack Grealish
Marc Roca
Boukary Soumaré
Philippe Coutinho

Starting off with the most heavily linked one, Thomas Partey. Since Ramsey’s absence last season we’ve been missing our midfield engine, and Partey will be the perfect player to replace him. Being capable of playing across the midfield he’ll be a great addition to Arteta’s squad

Moving on to a more creative midfielder, Houssem Aouar. Arteta has expressed that he would like to play in a system similar to Pep’s Man City, which includes 2 creative 8s, Aouar would be perfect to fill one of those roles. Reports are saying he will be available for around £40m

6 goals and 6 assists in his last 9 games, playing from midfield. Dominik Szoboszlai is everything we’ve been lacking from our midfield this season. With a release clause of merely £22.5m, and with him only being 19, we absolutely can’t miss out on this steal.

Whether Villa go down or not, Jack Grealish will be on a lot of top English teams radar. The 24 year old midfielder has had an outstanding season in the Premier League so far. He will be available for a cut price if Aston Villa go down, and will definitely be looked at by Arteta

Moving on to a somewhat less known player, Marc Roca. The 23 year old Spaniard is currently playing for Espanyol in La Liga, and is mainly performing as a DM in their system. That being said, he’s a very technical midfielder with a good passing range as well.

Time for another player from Ligue 1, Boukary Soumaré. The Lille midfielder would be a more defensive addition to our midfield. Soumaré is highly sought after, getting linked to a number of top clubs in January. Valued around £35m he could be a great addition to our squad.

This one might be a bit of a long shot, Philippe Coutinho. Having had an unsuccessful spell at Barcelona, Coutinho is now linked with a move back to the Premier League. Arsenal are unlikely to be able to afford the transfer fee, but a loan might be an option.

And last but not least, the position that mainly depends on the departure of either Lacazette or Aubameyang, a new striker or left winger:

Odsonne Édouard
Memphis Depay
Victor Osimhen
Saïd Benrahma
Joelson Fernandes

Starting off with Odsonne Édouard. The 22 year old French striker moved from PSG to Celtic in 2018, and has scored 21 goals and got 12 assists in 27 league games for Celtic this season. Edouard should be available for a fee around £25-30m if we decided to make a move for him.

Next up is United ‘flop’, Memphis Depay. Since leaving England Depay has developed in a very dangerous striker who is also able to play out wide. Entering the final year of his contract, Lyon are reportedly looking to offload the Dutchman and he should cost no more than £20m.

Reports are saying Arsenal are looking to take another player off Lille’s hands, Victor Osimhen. Arsenal are not the only team looking to bring in Osimhen as he appears to be in advanced talks with Napoli and Spurs are also interested. Will be expensive and quite a longshot.

Moving onto the wing, Saïd Benrahma should be an affordable option to add to our squad next season. The 24 year old winger had a good season in the Championship, scoring 11 and assisting 9 goals. Will be one of the cheaper options as well, around £15m, Chelsea also interested.

And finally, one for the future. 17 year old Joelson Fernandes has been linked to Arsenal in recent weeks. Having Kia Joorabchian as his agent, the Arsenal link don’t come as a surprise. Fernandes has 2 years left on his contract, so Arsenal might not make a move straight away.

My ideal summer window would be:
IN:
Thomas Partey - £43m
Dayot Upamecano - £40m
Dominik Szoboszlai - £20m
Memphis Depay - £20m

OUT:
Macey - £100k
Sokratis - £8m
Kolasinac - £12m
Özil - £8m
Mavropanos - £2m
Elneny - £4m
Lacazette - £35m

Net spend: ~£54m

Getting in those players would allow us to set up in a couple of ways, for example:

With Arteta looking to set up our team similar to Pep’s City, I think the first formation will be more likely. That being said, we played a 3 back in recent games and it seemed to work as well. Will be interesting to see how we end up setting up.

I hope you guys didn’t fall asleep halfway through reading this, because I know it was a very long thread, but if you didn’t and you enjoyed it a like / rt will be much appreciated as a lot of time went into writing it.

[End of thread]

Added a link to a lot of reliable transfer accounts in all the players we're linked to but most of them wouldn't let me tweet it out for some reason

If you guys want an easier read check this https://twitter.com/threadreaderapp/status/1279511226217828359?s=21