It is common knowledge that **Arsenal**are on the lookout for a star striker. But that will not be enough to satiate supporters in the summer transfer window. For many fans, a winger is also in high demand.
Bukayo Saka has shouldered the burden of being the leading light in the attack. His excellence has cast a critical light on the work of his teammates. **Kai Havertz**has persistently been held accountable for his flaws but the left wingers that are on the roster came under scrutiny in the last twelve months.
For the second season in a row, Gabriel Martinelli has not hit the heights of the 2022/23 campaign. His speed is a unique quality in the offence, and his work rate meets the standards of Mikel Arteta. But when the spaces close up, and the game is less dynamic, his limitations on the wing are visible.
Meanwhile, Leandro Trossard still stands out most as the super sub of the squad. An ankle injury for Martin Odegaard at the start of the season left the door open for more minutes that he could not maximise. His time at N5 might soon end in a period of reflection and rejuvenation for the side.
Here are four wingers that could change the feelings of the fanbase about the **Arsenal**attack.
One of the longtime links for the Gunners in this position has hauled in headlines most for his country rather than his club. In doing so, he has shown he can thrive as a wingman for a talisman on the right.
**Nico Williams**won plaudits on the path to glory for **Spain**at EURO 2024, where he scored in the final against England. Lamine Yamal was the centre of attention, but for the first time, La Roja had two truly dynamic dangers on each flank, and the 22-year-old continues to excel in a Spanish shirt.
Just in this international break, he put on another spectacle. Spain went four goals to the good in the final four of the Nations League against **France**and he torched Pierre Kalulu on his debut for Les Bleus. A series of strong showings for La Roja have commanded considerable respect for the winger, but his time in the Basque Country has conjured up a little doubt about just how good he is right now.
With only five goals and five assists in **La Liga**for Athletic Club, his topline data does not indicate he is clear of Martinelli. But the one stat where he far outdoes the Brazilian is in terms of shots that he creates from take-ons, tripling the output of 23-year-old. He is in elite company across Europe in this category and could bring more of the creative dribbling against deep blocks that the team craves.
Capable of playing on both sides of the field, he could give cover to Saka if the manager does not always want to give that role to Ethan Nwaneri. But most of all, his speed, threat in transition, and relentlessness with the ball at his feet could give the attack more of a momentum shifter on the left.
The Gunners must be aware that they are not getting the complete package if they go in for Williams. But there is no doubt he has the potential to complete the dynamic duo that **Arsenal**are yearning for.
If the team are willing to try and pursue a polished product, then there is one outstanding candidate.
Mesut Ozil was one of the most talented players to grace the Emirates era as cast off from the star studded cast at Real Madrid. Over a decade later, fans will hope history repeats itself if **Rodrygo**is not sure of his place with Los Blancos and he has his eyes on being the top dog somewhere else.
He has always been in the company of other stars who have been the centre of the attention. Vinicius Junior has nailed down the spot on the left wing over the last four years and the arrival of Kylian Mbappe in the summer of 2024 meant even less prospect of playing on the left for the Brazilian.
The 24-year-old has learned to apply himself through a role on the right flank. Here, he has shown his willingness to work and plug in the gaps for the talismanic forwards in the team. Similarly, his humble record in the final third highlights how he has facilitated others instead of focusing on his own output.
Arteta will adore how much he is self-sacrificial as a character as well as his flexibility as an option across the front three. But it is the top tier quality as with the ball at his feet that will put the smiles on supporters' faces. He can beat players with his dribbling in one-on-one duels on the flanks, and he is one of the best in the business when it comes to combining with other teammates in the final third.
In the event that he bids goodbye to Madrid this summer, Rodrygo is likely to have many clubs fighting for his services. If **Arsenal**get their hands on him, they are acquiring a franchise player.
Closer to home, the club could look at taking talent from the lower ranks of the Premier League.
One of the best wide threats in the English top tier is Antoine Semenyo. He first plied his trade in the men's game at Bristol City, and he did not break through into the topflight until the age of 23 with a winter window move to Bournemouth. However, his spell on the south coast continues to impress.
The winger carries himself with the presence of a man who had to work his way through the divisions. He bounces off defenders with a firm physical stature, can plough past tackles, and he knows how to make the ball stick in the air or with service to his chest as much as when the ball comes to his feet.
His technique is not the most refined, but he makes up for that with the ability to go both ways around a fullback and positive aggression in his playing style. Andoni Iraola has been willing to let him play off the cuff and the Cherries have profited from giving him the freedom to go out and cause chaos.
He has also repaid that faith with decisive output in the final third. His powerful presence translates into a fearsome shooting technique is a threat from the left or right side of the field. He scored 11 times in the league this term and netted eight times during his first full **Premier League**campaign.
What unites Iraola and Arteta, as men from the Basque Country, is also a demand for work without the ball. When Semenyo barrels into players and strips the ball from them, he tilts momentum towards his team. He could offer the potency that **Arsenal**have often missed in the transition from their high press and should be backed to deliver the goods for the Gunners as a **Premier League**proven player.
Last on the list is the joker in the pack. His quality is unquestionable, but consistency causes concern.
It is not fair to say that Rafael Leao has faded away into obscurity. However, he has not become a superstar of the game in the way that many observers of **Serie A**thought that he was going to be.
After two years of winning the Scudetto and reaching the final four of the Champions League between 2021 and 2023, Leao has been part of the **AC Milan**squad that sat in eighth spot at the end of this season. That finish is indicative of the critiques that have hung over him. In the eyes of many people, he is a highly capable player who has too many dips to be a decisive figure at the elite level.
Especially if he is not willing to work hard defensively, this seems like a non-starter for Arteta. But the traits that he has are rare to find. In some senses, he has exactly the profile that **Arsenal**desire.
Standing at 6' 2" in the air, he is also extremely quick off the first step. His blend of height, power, and quickness is seldom seen among athletes. As he showed in a cameo off the bench in the victory for **Portugal**over **Spain**in the final of the Nations League, those who do have those three capacities can force defenders to resort to fouls or simply accept their athletic inferiority as he blows down the wing.
Paired with a more forward thinking fullback, he does not need much instruction to light up an attack: the simpler the better for him. That game-breaking quality also applies to his lung-bursting carries into open room on the breakaway. **Arsenal**are not blessed with much top end speed in the final third apart from Martinelli and someone like Leao who can create separation so easily stands out from the crowd.
The Gunners have been a home for wantaway players from big clubs. Arteta might have to lower his guard to get the best out of him, but for the right price, this transfer could be worth consideration.