Arsene Wenger has made a familiar promise to the Arsenal fans yet again as he signed a two-year contract extension with the club, following a heroic win over new Premier League Champions, Chelsea in the FA Cup final. While the fans were definitely not happy with the board’s decision, their anger and frustration were satisfied to a large extent by the cup win.
While the Gunners finished in the most promising way yet again, the Frenchman knows now that another poor season and things could go horribly wrong for him as well as the club. Talks of taking a new approach and modifying the long-standing principles have also been assured by the manager as well as the owner.
Here are 3 things Arsenal must do to challenge for the title next season-
Retain Their Best Players- It goes without saying that Arsenal have struggled to keep hold of their best players at the club in the last decade. Since moving to the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal have had to let go of players like Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera and Robert Pires, which has made the club weak gradually. And more than that, the sale of Ashley Cole to Chelsea, Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and Emanuel Adebayor to Manchester City and Robin Van Persie to Manchester United, have also contributed to making their competitors stronger.
The club is in a similar situation yet again as they have to decide whether to retain their stars like Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, who have demanded huge wages, or sell them for a good amount. With Chelsea and Manchester City among Sanchez’s suitors, a similar mistake could create havoc at the club.
A Perfect Partner for Granit Xhaka- The Swiss international has definitely been one of the better buys of the club and his disciplined midfield display has proved that Arsenal should build the team around him next season. Being a terrific passer of the ball and dominant in aerial duels, what he needs is someone who could give him cover.
Arsenal don’t need a world class option like Paul Pogba to fill that position, but someone who will be immensely hardworking and consistent in the middle of the park. Arsenal have been linked with the likes of Corentin Tolisso and Mario Lemina, who could be cheap yet get the job done just fine.
Find a world class striker- One of the requirements, which has been a long time waiting for the club because they have refused to spend astronomical amounts on players. However, they have little option left now as that has been the trend. In Danny Welbeck, Arsenal have an impactful forward who can stretch the defence with his terrific work rate and also possesses brilliant dribbling areas.
However, his repeated injuries and inconsistency in scoring has left Arsenal wanting for more. Arsenal need someone like Pierre Aubameyang or Edinson Cavani or Alvaro Morata to keep the score sheet ticking in big games.
