Arsenal are being linked with some stellar individuals ahead of the summer transfer window but members of their squad could lose out as a result of their recruitment
Arsenal signed Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze last summer
Arsenal signed Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze last summer
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If Arsenal are to go again in the transfer market, as plenty of reports suggest, then sooner or later they need to start deciding on who is going to be lose out as a result of their recruitment drive.
The Gunners have invested summer after summer since Mikel Arteta turned them into serial trophy challengers. That has seen them spend big, especially on their frontline. The most recent summer saw them add Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres.
Previous to that they signed the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were already at the Emirates when Arteta arrived. There's no doubt the transfer strategy has given them a starting XI and a bench that is the envy of even top European sides.
Piers Morgan claimed they'd assembled the greatest squad in football history only recently. And now reports claim they have their sights on PSG's Champions League winner, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Other rumours have them linked with Atletico Madrid frontman Julian Alvarez and Inter Milan youngster Pio Esposito.
That is all well and good, but Arsenal have evolved into a team that need to accept they can't keep everyone. In a backwards kind of way, it's a luxury to have so many good players that you're leaving some of them out. But the cold, hard reality is individuals - quality ones at that - won't accept squad roles.
We've already seen the first sign of that with Ethan Nwaneri having to leave on loan to get more minutes. He headed to Marseille in January after starting a grand total of zero Premier League games. He only signed a new long-term deal in the summer, but already you're struggling to see a route into the starting XI.
This is a player regarded as one of the best to come through the academy in recent years. When he had opportunities last term, he looked electric, which saw Joe Cole draw comparisons with Lionel Messi. There's no doubt, though, that the arrivals of Madueke and Eze have stunted his development.
The Premier League side have been linked with a sensational move for PSG star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Arsenal have been linked with a sensational move for PSG star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia(Image: Marc Atkins, Getty Images)
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And so what if Arsenal do manage to get a deal over the line for Kvaratskhelia, albeit that looks unlikely right now. Only so many players can start a game, so who decides that they're better off playing week in, week out when Arteta completes his next mega deal?
Attack isn't the only place where continued arrivals have resulted in players losing out. Myles Lewis-Skelly was tipped to go to the World Cup this time last year. The teenager looked fearless at full-back and, like Nwaneri, recently signed a new deal in north London.
Yet here we are. Lewis-Skelly has started just one league game. Piero Hincapie was signed from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer and he's played 17 times in the league. It doesn't take a mathematical genius to work out who's ahead of who in the pecking order.
Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have both lost out as a result of Arsenal's transfer activity
Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have both lost out as a result of Arsenal's transfer activity
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And so, like Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly has lost out as a result of Arsenal's transfer business. No doubt Arteta, if quizzed, would talk up the long-term plan he has for them and their importance to the squad. The numbers don't back that up, however, and young players - ambitious ones - won't accept bit-part roles forever.
We've not even mentioned Max Dowman, the 16-year-old prodigy who looks destined for the top. A jigsaw can only fit one way and, say he sees himself as a No.10, well Martin Odegaard once commanded that role. Now Eze is a genuine option there, as is Havertz.
If Dowman wants to play on the wings, well he's facing equal amounts of competition, and that could only get worse. Arsenal are aiming to hold off Manchester City in the title race, and the Etihad outfit are a fine example of 'you can't keep them all'.
Yes, Guardiola is spoilt for quality. But he's had to watch Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Liam Delap and Jadon Sancho all walk out of the door. Bitter pills to swallow, but Arteta best ready himself for similar experiences.
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