AFTV News

How can Arsenal strengthen their midfield this summer By Tom Masters After a disappointing end to the season which saw Arsenal miss out on Champions League football at the expense of rivals Tottenham Hotspur, it is time for attentions to turn to next season, with Mikel Arteta in the market for a whole host of signings to improve his side this summer.  One of the main areas he will be looking to improve is the midfield, which has failed to deliver what Gunners fans wanted this season and was a large contributing factor to falling at the end of the season and missing out on Champions League action.  Thomas Partey has shown he is the player that Arsenal thought they had signed from Atletico Madrid, but he has had his fair share of injuries, and the likes of Albert Sambi Lokonga and Granit Xhaka have not managed to deliver the consistency that Arsenal need.  Partey’s place in the Arsenal midfield is not under threat, as when he is fit, he is among the best midfielders in the ...

Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves By Jonny Bray It is hard to believe that Ruben Neves is still only 25-years-old.   It feels as if the Portuguese international has been tipped for big things for nearly a decade now.  With the midfielder out of contract in 2023, it appears his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers could be coming to an end.  Understandably, with a player like Neves on offer for a reduced price, clubs around Europe are queueing up to secure the international's signature.  So, after all this time, should Arsenal move for Ruben Neves now, or is it time for the Gunners to turn their attention to a new target?  What would he bring?  Arsenal do not have enough defensive midfielders.  Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka give Mikel Arteta plenty of midfield options going forward, but the Gunners have been found lacking when out of possession this season. Thomas Partey has been in and out of the side due to injuries, a fact that has not hel...

Ruben Neves v Emi Buendia – Are the Gunners right to target the Wolves man, as rumours hot up ahead of possible move? By Oscar Haley This summer is perhaps Arsenal’s biggest in recent memory. For the first time since 1996, the club finds itself on the outside of European competition, with little in the way of saleable assets to improve a pandemic-hit transfer budget. In order to avoid falling behind the Premier League’s leading lights, Arsenal must improve their squad if they want to compete for silverware. Two players who have been mentioned of late that could help remedy this are Wolves’ Ruben Neves and Norwich City’s Emi Buendia. The latter it now seems is off to Aston Villa, leaving the Gunners to focus on Portuguese playmaker Neves. Is he the better fit for Mikel Arteta’s side? The case for Ruben Neves  This season, almost all of Arsenal’s central midfield options have underwhelmed. Thomas Partey was unable to display his quality on a consistent basis, Granit Xhaka and Mohamed...