5 players who have been linked with moves to Arsenal
After Arsenal fell to a 2-1 defeat to Hibernian in a pre-season friendly, it became shockingly evident that the club have plenty of work to do. They finished eighth in the Premier League last season and failed to qualify for Europe for the first time in more than two decades. While the board continues to support Mikel Arteta, Arsenal need to bring in some fresh faces to challenge for a top-four finish.
Nuno Tavares was recently announced as Arsenal's first signing of the summer. The strategy the Gunners seem to be adopting this year is to target young and versatile players who can play in a myriad of positions. Tavares, for example, plays predominantly as a left-back but also has experience as a left midfielder and as a right-back.
The summer transfer window will close on August 31 and Arsenal are bound to sign a few more players. On that note, here is a look at five players who have been linked with moves to the club.
#5 Ben White
Arsenal are on the lookout for a defender this summer and Ben White is among those who could join the Gunners. The Brighton and Hove Albion player was called up to Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2020 but failed to make a single appearance during the tournament.
With the competition now over, Arsenal might be able to accelerate talks with the player and club to secure his signature as soon as possible. According to reports, personal terms with White have already been agreed upon, and the Gunners would likely have to pay around £50 million for the centre-back.
Last season, White helped the Seagulls keep 11 clean sheets and enjoyed a 53% tackle success rate, which is much better than Rob Holding's 47%. Although Graham Potter often names White as a centre-back, the 23-year-old has also played as a defensive midfielder and right-back. His experience in various positions will certainly be a key factor with Arsenal looking to improve their defensive and midfield options this season.
#4 Houssem Aouar
Since the previous summer transfer window, Arsenal have been keeping an eye on Houssem Aouar. Mikel Arteta was on the verge of signing the midfielder but the deal eventually broke down.
The failure to bring in a creative midfielder meant Arsenal had to predominantly rely on Emile Smith Rowe before Martin Odegaard was signed on loan in January. This overdependence had a detrimental impact on their season. Although Smith Rowe enjoyed an impressive breakout season, he can be quite injury-prone. Meanwhile, Odegaard has returned to Real Madrid and is unlikely to return to the Emirates Stadium for the 2021-22 campaign. Both these factors mean Arsenal do not have a long-term solution for their creativity issues ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Picking up from where they left off last summer, Arsenal are seemingly keen on Aouar once again. But this time around they face competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham.
If Aouar does join the Gunners, he would certainly strengthen Arsenal's midfield. In addition to producing 2.3 shots per game and boasting an average passing accuracy of 86%, the Lyon midfielder managed to score seven goals and provide three assists last season.
His capability in the center of the field is something Arsenal have sorely missed, and there is no doubt that Aouar will improve the Gunners' midfield.