Arsene Wenger has finally signed a new deal and there is now respite for the section of the club’s fans who are ready to put his 20-year service at the club behind them. The Frenchman has yet again won the FA Cup but this time, he has failed to take Arsenal to the Champions League next season and is sure to struggle in the transfer market to lure his top transfer targets.
Certain reports suggest that Wenger has been given a transfer kitty of £100m to spend this summer and the manager is sure to spend big, to make sure that the frailties of the previous season do not arise yet again. They are linked with players that can improve various areas of the squad but what is their priority this summer?
The French manager spent on Shkodran Mustafi and Granit Xhaka amongst others in the previous transfer window and both players are expected to play first team roles next season as well. However, Wenger failed to improve on his attack and only has Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to fall to in times of need.
The likes of Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin are set to leave, making their midfield weaker, while Petr Cech may also need a replacement. Their full backs also need some backups, pushing Wenger to search for players for almost every position.
It is going to be a tough summer at Arsenal with Wegner’s reputation to not spend big but one position they must surely go all out for is the striker’s role. All other positions mentioned above do not need immediate big-name additions but Arsenal have Danny Welbeck, Lucas Perez and Olivier Giroud as their only options to lead the attack and they genuinely need a top goal scorer who can help them regularly at the highest level.
Let’s assume that Sanchez and Ozil stay back at the club. They will remain the creative force yet again but Wenger cannot expect them to shoulder as many responsibilities as they did this season. The former La Liga duo needs a genuine goal scorer who can create and finish chances consistently and beyond doubt, it is the need of the hour at the Emirates.
Wenger has been searching for such a player for more than two summers now and without Champions League football, it has become that much harder for them to lure top transfer targets. However, they can now concentrate on finding a player who can walk into the first team under Wenger system and can stick with him throughout the next campaign, giving the newcomer enough time to have an impact on the squad.
They will need a midfielder, a full back or two, a winger, a CB and also a GK if they are to challenge for the title for the next few years but Wenger needs to find a target man who can score 20+ goals consistently for the club. That surely should be his priority.
