Arsenal fans' hopes of landing huge targets going into the summer transfer window will have been boosted after GMS sources confirmed that Mikel Arteta could have £300million to spend this summer - but despite a striker and a winger being on their shortlist, one more major position must be improved upon after various failed attempts in recent years.
The Gunners have suffered major injuries this calendar year after initially making a strong start to Premier League proceedings, and it's been their downfall in terms of the league table, with Liverpool effectively running away with the title. Arteta will know that he'll have to improve in some key areas, especially in an attacking sense, given how strongly the injuries afforded to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus have highlighted a need for recruits - but one continuous blunder in their ranks may also highlight the need for stronger recruitment, with the Gunners needing to fix their woes in attacking midfield.
Arsenal Have Wasted Huge Money on Midfield Role
The Gunners still haven't found their ideal candidate
Arsenal have yet to work out who is the best to play alongside Martin Odegaard in the 'left-eight' role as one of their two attacking midfielders, when viewing the pitch in a 4-1-4-1 formation as seen below.
my-lineup-made-with-homecrowd
Declan Rice has practically held down the holding midfield role after his move from West Ham United 18 months ago, and Odegaard has also held down the 'right-eight' role, cutting in on his left and displaying his technical magic on various occasions in recent years.
But whilst the Gunners have been proficient at signings in certain areas, such as Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes forming their defence and David Raya excelling in goal, the 'left-eight' is somewhere that they have repeatedly struggled to nail down with any conviction.
£65million signing Kai Havertz was the first real player who came into the role, but he's been needed up front more often than not - and the German has actually excelled more in that role, becoming the club's top goalscorer prior to his injury in early February. Fabio Vieira, a £34million purchase from Porto, has also failed to mark his territory there, having been sent back to the Portuguese giants; whilst Albert Sambi Lokonga continues to be sent out on loan - having only made 25 league appearances for the Gunners since his move in 2021 from Anderlecht for a fee of around £17million. Mikel Merino, although predominantly a holding midfielder and an alternative to Rice, has also barely played in that role since his arrival from Real Sociedad for £32million.
Arsenal's 'left-eight' signings - fee and Arsenal record when playing in midfield
Player
Kai Havertz
Mikel Merino
Fabio Vieira
Albert Sambi Lokonga
When you consider the club sold Emile Smith Rowe, that is five players who the Gunners have seen come into that role and not impress Arteta enough for the Gunners to keep hold of them or field them in that area.
That's a combined £148million for the quartet, who have failed to adequately replace Granit Xhaka after his move to Bayer Leverkusen - and serious work must go into improving that in the summer transfer window if the Gunners are to be genuine Premier League contenders next season.
Arsenal Could Sign Some Top Talents to Fix Arteta Problem
The right transfer could win them a Premier League
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The logical idea would be to bring a 'left-eight' into their ranks, predominantly right-footed, who can replicate what Odegaard brings to their attack but down the opposite flank - not only adding quality to their ranks, but also deterring teams from doubling up on Odegaard and Saka in the right-hand channels of the pitch.
Rice could step up, having shown his attacking excellence at times, but another option could be someone in the ilk of Dani Olmo. The Spaniard joined Barcelona for around £51million back in August, but the Blaugrana's registration issues meant that Olmo had the option to become a free agent in January. He didn't take that up, and he can now play for the club again, but with Barcelona being tipped to sign Nico Williams - a fellow Arsenal target - that could see Olmo depart, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal also performing well at the Camp Nou.
Of course, Rice moving up the pitch would mean that Arsenal would have to sign a new holding midfielder to replace Rice's ability to hold down the fort. In fact, even if they decided to play Merino in the Rice role, they'd still have to sign a backup for the Spaniard, given that Jorginho and Thomas Partey are expected to move on this summer.
Martin Zubimendi, Merino's former Real Sociedad teammate, has been heavily linked with a move to north London, and he could be a top option to bring into the midfield with his possession-heavy style of play keeping play ticking and Arsenal on the front foot. One downside is that he isn't a tall player by any means, and smaller, lone-holding midfielders can struggle physically - especially with Arsenal committing bodies forward, leaving potential gaps for turnovers.
Bruno Guimaraes could be another option. The Newcastle United captain declared his love for the Magpies after their League Cup win, though a large bid could be enough to tempt Newcastle to sell their man for other replacements. There is a caveat to that, though - it would make Alexander Isak largely unattainable for Arteta, with Newcastle unlikely to sell both players, and so they could opt for other targets if it would guarantee a deal for the Swedish hitman.
Having finished twice to years in a row, and looking set to claim another runners-up medal in the Premier League for 2024/25, the Gunners are close to glory. If they can finally get the right man in midfield, Arteta will surely be able to lead them to glory at last.
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 21-03-25.
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