Five players Mikel Arteta should be bringing to Arsenal this summer

Five players that Mikel Arteta reportedly wants to bring to Arsenal in the summer

By Adam Le Roux

The January transfer window may have only shut a little over a month ago, but that doesn’t mean the rumour mill isn’t in full swing ahead of the summer, and it promises to be a busy one for Arsenal Football Club.

Mikel Arteta is slowly starting to put his own stamp on the team, with recent additions Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard a glimpse of what the future could hold at the Emirates.

The Spaniard hasn’t messed about in getting rid of what he considers to be the deadwood at the club, with Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi shown the door early on, Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi followed, while the likes of Joe Willock and Ainsley Maitland-Niles have been farmed out on loan, possibly pre-empting a summer move.

So with these departures will surely come some arrivals to the club, as the Gunners look to be heading in a new direction and will be back among the leading pack once we come out the other end of this turbulent transition period.

But who has the boss, or perhaps more accurately technical director Edu, reportedly got his eye on ahead of the close-season, and what will they add to the team going forward?

Mikel Oyarzabal

One alarming thing about Arsenal at the start of the season was the distinct lack of pace in attack, as well as no sense of freedom or trickery to break a team down.

And one man that has that in abundance is Real Sociedad star Mikel Oyarzabal, who has reportedly tickled the fancy of Edu ahead of the summer.

At just 23 years of age, the winger has proved himself to be one of the hottest properties in the Spanish game this season, as La Real currently sit fifth in La Liga, as well as starring for the national team of late.

The Eibar-born wide man is exactly what Arsenal have been calling out for recently; a touchline hugging pacy star that can stretch a game in an instant and leave opposing defenders on their toes throughout the 90 minutes.

The only thing that could scupper the deal is Oyarzabal’s £65m valuation from his current employers but with a number of high-rollers off the wage bill at the Emirates, he could definitely be worth the punt.

Max Aarons

With the news that Hector Bellerin could be set to end a ten-year association with the club in the summer, Arteta will have to move swiftly to find a suitable replacement on the right side of defence, and Norwich man Max Aarons fits the bill perfectly.

The Canaries right-back has impressed throughout the season for Daniel Farke’s side, who currently sit top of the Championship table as they search for an immediate return to the top tier.

Aarons’ performances have been a major contributing factor to their rise to the summit, with the 21-year-old rocketing up and down the right flank with panache every time he takes to the field.

The timing of his attacking runs are perfect, while his precise crossing is consistently laying chances on a plate for Teemu Pukki other members of the Norwich strike force to gobble up, which is exactly what Arsenal will be crying out for if Bellerin sets sail.

With so much quality at such a young age, an £18m price tag is peanuts compared to what he could be worth if he continues his upwards trajectory and could easily become a contender for a place in the international squad in the future.

That said, it is no surprise that a number of clubs have been rumoured to be interested capturing his signature, with AC Milan, Everton and Barcelona all said to be showing an interest.

Ibrahima Konate

It seems as if there isn’t a position that Arsenal could do with strengthening over the summer, with the centre of defence being another facet that could do with an uplift.

Despite having a number options at the back this season, Arteta doesn’t seem to have settled on a first-choice defensive unit, with Pablo Mari, Gabriel and David Luiz all interchanging throughout the season, as well as Calum Chambers and Rob Holding.

But too often the Gunners have looked shaky at the back and need a solid performer to give the rest of the team the assurance that their good work won’t be undone by a moment of madness - we're looking at you Luiz...

So a move for RB Leipzig’s 21-year-old centre-back Ibrahima Konate would fit the bill perfectly, with the young star having already featured 15 times for the Bundesliga side this season, including the 3-2 Champions League victory over Manchester United in December.

At £31.5m he doesn’t break the bank either, and with a bright future ahead of him, the Frenchman world be worth every penny as the Arteta revolution continues in north London.

Odsonne Edouard

With rumours that Alexandre Lacazette has his heart set on pastures new this summer, Arteta will have his eyes on a new hotshot to fill his boots up top, and he could do a lot worse than look north of the border for his next goalscoring sensation.

Celtic may have had a below-par year by their own lofty standards in Scotland, with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers already wrapping up the Scottish Premier League title, but that hasn’t stopped Odsonne Edouard from banging in more than 20 goals this campaign for the Bhoys.

The 23-year-old is one of the hottest strikers around, having netted 28 goals in his 45 appearances in all competitions for Celtic last season, and is close to reaching that target once again this campaign.

The Frenchman has all the makings of a striker who could easily grace the Premier League, with his strength and power setting him up for the robust attention from opposing defences, while his eye for goal is second to none.

The thought of Edouard leading the line is one that really whets the appetite, and alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang they could create a deadly partnership at the top end of the field.

The hurly burly nature of the Celtic marksman would draw in defenders as he proves to be a handful, leaving his teammates with the room to manoeuvre and create the goalscoring opportunities.

Italian side Juventus are also said to be after his signature this summer and after a first season in Scottish football without a league success, it would be no surprise to see the striker on the move in the coming months.

Martin Odegaard

The more games that Martin Odegaard plays in the Arsenal side, the more imperative it is that the Norwegian is snapped up as quickly as possible this summer.

The Real Madrid loanee has almost single-handedly transformed the side as an attacking force side since his temporary switch from the Spanish capital, and to not make the move permanent in the summer would be an absolute travesty.

The vision, the passing ability, the way he glides across the turf, these are all traits that Arsenal have been lacking for much of the season going forward, and it’s no surprise that they are creating many more chances since he stepped foot in London.

His performances will no doubt have added a few million to his price tag, but some players are worth breaking the bank for, and Odegaard is it, he’s still young, he’s still fresh, and that’s exactly what Arteta needs to build his team around.

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