Arsenal fans are expecting their club to be very active in the transfer market during the summer.
With the Copa America well and truly underway, football fans are able to do their own mini scouting missions on their club’s potential transfer targets.
Here we take a look at five players who Arsenal should be looking to sign ahead of their upcoming Premier League campaign.
1. Diego Godin – 30 – Atletico Madrid and Uruguay
Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin is exactly the kind of player Arsenal need
Godin would be the perfect acquisition for Arsenal. At 30 he is in the prime of his career for a centre-back. He has played at the highest level for club and country, and his gritty determination would take the Gunners to an entirely different level.
Arsenal’s lack of leadership has been well documented, and the addition of Godin could solve this problem in one fell swoop. He is under contract at the Vincente Calderon until the summer of 2019, so he would still command a large transfer fee, but even if it took £40 million to prize him away from the Spanish capital, he would be worth every penny. Godin has 99 caps for Uruguay.
2. Christian Zapata – 29 – AC Milan and Columbia
Zapata’s contract with AC Milan expires at the end of June
Zapata is another experienced central defender who has the ability to turn Arsenal into genuine Premier League contenders. AC Milan’s continued struggles in Serie A have enabled Zapata’s impressive displays to go under the radar, and he is very much underrated.
He is not only quick in short bursts, but also an imposing figure, standing at 6 ft 2 in. He would be the ideal signing for Arsenal to partner Laurent Koscielny. Zapata’s deal with Milan expires at the end of June, so he would be available on a free transfer. An absolute no-brainer for Arsenal. Zapata has 43 caps for Columbia.
3. Marquinhos – 22 – Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil
PSG’s Marquinhos is certainly one for the future
The number of defenders on the list highlights the need for Arsenal to strengthen in that department. Marquinhos offers a more youthful option, but do not be fooled by his age. He is tremendously mature, and has a classy style of defending mixed with raw agression.
He is a kind of Rio Ferdinand/John Terry hybrid. He has nine caps for the Brazilian team and is expected to be a mainstay in their defence for the next decade plus. He is said to be unhappy in the French capital, and The Evening Standard report that he is currently in talks with he Parisians regarding his future.
It would take a monumental offer to tempt PSG into selling however, with Marquinhos contracted to the club until the summer of 2019. If the Gunners moved for Marquinhos, along with one of the above, their defence would take on a whole new dimension next season. Marquinhos’ versatility is a major plus too – he is just as comfortable playing at right-back as he is in the centre of defence.
4. James Rodriguez – 24 – Real Madrid
Despite his young age, James Rodriguez is already a world star
Rodriguez is one of the world’s most exciting talents, yet he has failed to flourish in Madrid since his £70 million move from Monaco two years ago. Arsenal are stacked full of players in the forward areas, but the question is, apart from Mesut Ozil, are any of them of the standard needed to challenge for titles? The answer is probably no, with the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott failing to live up to their potential.
With the Champions League winner’s notorious for shipping out supreme talent to fund their own moves for players, Rodriguez is exactly the kind of player who could be in line for the chop. He made only 17 La Liga starts last term, and was omitted from the Madrid starting line-up in seven of their last ten outings. He was also not picked to start by manager Zinedine Zidane in the latter stages of the Champions League.
The Colombian’s deal is not set to expire at the Bernabeu until the summer of 2020, so he will not come cheap, but if Madrid are in the market for the likes of Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski, the sales of some of their stars will be a greater possibility. Rodriguez has scored 16 goals for his country in 44 appearances. What a signing he would be for the Gunners, and one that would signal serious intent.
5. Edinson Cavani – 29 – Paris Saint-Germain
Cavani could become a Premier league legend if he were to ever make the move to England
Arsenal have made it clear that they are in the market for a centre-forward this summer, and have already made a move with a £20 million offer for Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy. That deal looks increasingly uncertain however, with Vardy seemingly stalling on the idea of a move.
Over the past five years, the main thing the Gunners have lacked is a world-class forward. Olivier Giroud is a good player, but nowhere near the standard needed to challenge for major honours. Cavani would solve this problem instantly. In 81 caps for Uruguay he has scored 32 goals. Since his £55 million move to PSG three years ago he has scored an impressive 78 goals in 134 appearances, and that has been while playing second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
His contract expires in two years time, so Arsenal would be in a perfect position to tempt the french club into selling. If Arsene Wenger signed Cavani and built his team around the Uruguayan powerhouse, making him central to their play, he has the potential to become and Arsenal legend and leave a legacy that his talent and potential deserve.
Here is how Arsenal’s starting XI could line-up next season if they were to sign three of the above players:
That certainly looks like a team capable of challenging for both the Premier League and Champions League, which begs the question, why does Wenger not go out and sign these kind of stars? With more cash in the bank than any other club in world football, there is no excuse.
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