Arsenal had probably their best season in 20 years in 23/24, even though it only ended in a 2nd place finish. Especially in 2024, Arsenal were a force to be reckoned with, winning 16 out of their last 18 matches in the Premier League, losing 1 and drawing 1. Even after having a near flawless record and scoring the most goals in 2024 while conceding the least, it wasn’t enough to end Manchester City’s dominance in the Premier League. Even in the Champions League, Arsenal put up a strong performance, and were only bested by Bayern Munich. Personally, Arsenal might have a better chance of winning the premier league than Manchester City, if they continue to make the right signings as they have so far in the form of Calafiori and Merino. Riccardo Calafiori is a perfect hybrid between Kiwior and Zinchenko, offering excellent on ball ability while also being an excellent defender, providing Arsenal with solidity and creativity at the same time. Merino isn’t going to be a guaranteed starter in my books. His best role is that of a box crashing advanced 8 who wins duels and links up play really well. Does that ring a bell? If you thought of Declan Rice last season, you are right. Arsenal primarily played 2 systems last season, one where Rice played as an LCM and pushed up to be a part of the front 5. This system was used more against teams which pressed them more, as this allowed them to play Jorginho or Partey, who are more secure on the ball than Rice. The other system, which saw Rice playing as a 6 and Odegaard playing as a slightly deeper 8, with Havertz playing as an advanced 8 really pushing up into the front line, was used primarily against teams which don’t press as much, and Arsenal could afford to play an extra attacking player. Rice played all 38 games last season for Arsenal, and played a total of 3231 minutes. Rice is a player who desperately needs backup, and Merino provides just that, while also providing something unique in the form of his aerial prowess, winning the most aerial duels of any midfielder in Europe. Arsenal scored the most set piece goals in 23/24, and another huge body only adds to their set piece threat. Alongside that, Merino is also comfortable at being a creator further up the pitch, and can provide some backup to Odegaard as well, who also played over 3000 minutes last season. Arsenal’s problem last season was that there was a spell of games, all against weaker teams, who played in a low block. Arsenal dropped a lot of points in this stretch of games in December 2023. The primary reason for this was Rice playing as a 6, with both Partey and Jorginho injured. This limited the creativity from deeper areas. With Jorginho and Partey fit, this no longer caused a problem towards the end of the season. However, Partey’s injury record is horrible, and Jorginho is already on the older side and is particularly slow at covering ground and winning duels. In order to be Premier League Champions, Arsenal need a CDM who can do it all, win duels, play forward passes, and most importantly, stay fit for sustained periods. Jorginho and Partey are slightly different players, with Partey preferring to receive under pressure while Jorginho is just as comfortable receiving under pressure as he is joining the backline in possession. Due to Jorginho’s versatility, I believe that Arsenal should still keep him, but I don’t think Partey is reliable enough to win Arsenal the Premier League. Alongside that, another big problem was a lack of creativity on the left hand side. Merino’s arrival as a difference maker and Calafiori’s arrival does upgrade Arsenal’s left hand side similar to the way Ben white upgraded Arsenal’s right hand side. However, the big problem lies on the left wing. Throughout last season, and even this season’s first Premier League game against Wolves, Saka, White and Odegaard combined beautifully to create most of Arsenal’s chances. Something similar is needed on the left, with a more dynamic winger. Martinelli to me is less of a winger and more of an inside forward, and trossard isn’t a typical winger either, functioning more as an inside forward as well. Both have been very useful for Arsenal, and I do believe Arsenal should at least keep Trossard, but a more dynamic profile of winger is needed on the left. This winger may not start every match, but in certain games where a bit of spark is required to break down teams, this profile is a must have. Manchester City foresaw this problem last season and signed Doku on the left wing, and have signed Savio to do the same thing on the right wing this season. Arsenal also need someone who can do this. With Nico Williams off the market, the amount of players who fit this profile are very low.

Transfers for the CDM role

1.Bruno Guimarães

Bruno Guimarães is already one of the best midfielders in the premier league currently. Not only does he have 7 goals and 8 assists but he also stands out in several key areas against midfielders across the world. These include but are not limited to shot creating actions, progressive passes, successful take ons, through balls, goal creating actions, and passes into the penalty area. Alongside that, we can also highlight his defensive stats. At first glance, his defensive stats may look average at best, however he plays in a team that keeps a good amount of the ball, so the amount of defensive actions he needs to commit are lower. There are still several defensive actions that stand out, including ball recoveries and shot creating actions from a defensive action. These make him one of the best pressing midfielders in the premier League and his ability to create chances by forcing high turnovers is a huge asset. His technical ability on the ball stands out the most, with an incredible return in total carries, carries into the final third, carries into the penalty box and carrying distance, while leading the league in successful take ons. Bruno Guimaraes has won more duels than any other player in the Premier League this season, meaning that he further improves Arsenal’s defensive solidity. He perfectly complements the weaknesses of Declan Rice on the ball, while further enhancing his strengths. Another key factor is that Guimaraes is excellent going forward and playing as an 8 as well. He can provide much needed cover to other players in times of injury, alongside starting most games as the holding midfielder. He does have quite a hefty price tag, with a market value of 85m. Arsenal, having already spent 76m and looking to spend 30m more on merino, might not have the funds needed to pull this off. However, he would definitely be a dream signing for Arsenal

2.Vitinha Vitinha is probably one of the most improved players in Europe this season. He has been one of the best Midfielders in all of Europe this season, and was deservedly in the Champions league team of the season. He has positional versatility while also having a lot of experience playing in a team with a similar controlled possession style of play to Arsenal, which means it would be easier for him to adapt to Arteta’s system. He has 7 goals and 4 assists in 28 Ligue 1 games, with 2 goals and an assist in 12 champions league games. Not only that, but he stands out Shot creating actions, Goal creating actions, Progressive passes, successful take ons, passes attempted and completed, passes into the final third, passes into the penalty area, key passes, Carries, progressive carrying distance, ball recoveries. All these stats showcase him to be one of the best press resistant deeper lying midfielders in Europe right now. He has started most games as a box to box midfielder or as a holding midfielder for PSG, often playing side by side with Ugarte as a CDM or controlling the game all by himself. This makes him a perfect tactical fit for Arsenal, as his ability to sit deep and dictate games while adding press resistance to the midfield makes him an extremely valuable asset. Another key fact is that while Bruno Guimares outperforms his Xg/90 by about 0.05 goals/90, Vitinha outperforms it by 0.13 goals/90, ranking him as one of the best finishers in Europe. His incredible long range shooting ability adds an element of surprise to the Arsenal team, and due to his familiarity with a possession based system he should adapt more easily. However, one key drawback is that he is only 5’7, raising questions about whether or not he has the required physicality to play in the Premier League. However, when he is accompanied by players like Rice and Merino, they would massively help him mitigate his weaknesses while Vitinha helps Rice and Merino mitigate their weaknesses. A midfield trio of Odegaard, Rice and Vitinha would perfectly complement each other. He is valued at just 55m, however, it is unlikely that PSG will sell him, given how essential he has become to the team.

3.Exequiel Palacios Exequiel Palacios has had a breakout season at Bayer Leverkusen. He has been a key part of their success in the 23/24 season, standing out as an excellent ball winner and a deep lying playmaker. In possession, Palacios stands out in terms of his assists, expected assists, Progressive Passes, Key passes, Passes into the final third, Passes into the Penalty area, Progressive carries, carries, successful take ons and successful take on %. He is extremely press resistant and has an expansive passing range. This season he has primarily played as a ball winner next to Granit Xhaka, who has been the main deep lying playmaker in the team, but Palacios has proven to be more than good enough to replace his creative ability at Leverkusen. What really stands out is his ability off the ball. He is incredible at defending transitions, and he stands out in tackles, interceptions, duels won, dribblers tackled, and ball recoveries. He perfectly complements Rice in that he can receive the ball under pressure and play line breaking passes to his teammates, while also maintaining the defensive solidity of the team. He is also an excellent dribbler, and his ball carrying can also be a secret weapon that can help Arsenal unlock low blocks. He is an excellent pocket player as well, meaning he can also be useful further up the pitch, if needed. He is valued at just 45m, and Leverkusen have seemingly already bought his replacement in Aleix Garcia, signalling that they are expecting Palacios to leave. Out of the 3 options, Palacios is the most sensible one, with Palacios having the potential to be one of the best CDMs in the Premier League.

Transfers for the LW role

1.Chris Führich

Chris Führich was one of the breakout stars of the Bundesliga last season, and played a huge part in Stuttgart finishing 2nd in the Bundesliga. He offers a certain dynamism from the left hand side that Arsenal have been missing. He stands out in Progressive carries, carries into the final third, Successful Take ons, Shot creating actions, goal creating actions, Expected assists and passes into the final third. All of these stats paint a picture of a player who is extremely dynamic and can use his dribbling and his passing to create chances for his teammates as well as himself. Another key point is that he contributes a lot defensively as well and presses brilliantly, similar to the way Martinelli and Trossard do. He can also play on the right wing, although he primarily plays as a left winger. He is valued at just 28m, and Arsenal can get an absolute gem of a player for such a small amount of money. In my opinion, Mikel Arteta will help Fuhrich advance into one of the best dynamic wingers in the Premier League.

2.Ebere Eze

Ebere Eze is already one of the best wingers/attacking midfielders in the premier league. His partnership with Olise at Crystal Palace, especially under Oliver Glasner, was really impressive. He is incredibly gifted technically, and also has an excellent eye for goal. He plays for a team that does not keep much of the ball, and yet he stands out in several key statistics such as goals, passes into the final third and successful take ons. He also excels in defensive contribution, standing out in terms of ball recoveries and tackles made compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers. He has an incredible ability to both overlap and underlap, and would complement Ricardo Calafiori really well. He can also play as an attacking mid and cover for Odegaard when needed. He is valued at 55m but would probably go for around 70m. It is expensive, but in return Arsenal are getting a Premier League proven talent. The only downside is that he is quite injury prone.