Despite Arsene Wenger’s future as Arsenal’s manager still unclear, what is clear is that the Gunners are contemplating a big overhaul of their squad this summer.
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After losing 3-1 at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, the Gunners have now lost four of their last five Premier League games to slump to sixth place in the table and missing out on the top four for the first time in 20 years is becoming a real possibility.
With both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil still not tied down to long-term contracts and many reports suggesting they’ll both leave this summer, speculation is spreading that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere may also leave this summer too.
A report from the Daily Mirror claims that Wenger is lining up Monaco’s teenage striker Kylian Mappe and Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette to replace Ozil and Sanchez.
Similarly, the Daily Telegraph believes that Arsenal is lining up a move for Everton’s Ross Barkley to fill the void left by Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wilshere and also state the futures of David Ospina, Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs are in doubt with Jack Butland and Celtic’s Kieran Tierney possible targets.
Would Arsenal be stronger after this overhaul? They’d certainly be younger.
Mappe, just 18 years old, is set to become the next big thing in French soccer and has scored 17 goals in 29 appearances this season, while 25-year-old Lacazette is 25 years old and has 28 goals to his name this season. After being linked with moves to the Premier League over the past few summers, Lacazette now appears ready to move on from Lyon.
Still, losing Ozil and Sanchez would be a huge blow. There’s no other way to look at it.
Barkley, 23, would be an intriguing buy and on paper he’d slot into the Arsenal style of play as a creative midfielder but he has a little more power and pace to his game than Ozil or Wilshere.
The one thing Arsenal fans will want to know sooner rather than later is if Wenger is staying or not. These reports seem to suggest that transfer plans to overhaul the current Gunners squad are being made.
Surely that suggests Wenger is ready to commit to another two years at the Emirates...
