da aviator aposta： Arsenal’s summer transfer window went from disaster to pretty darn good over the course of the last few days.
da casino： Going into the final week the Gunners looked to be on their way to a second successive off-season with only one notable addition in the shape of Granit Xhaka – Petr Cech was their man of 2015 – but a late splurge, brought on by injuries, saw Lucas Perez and Shkodran Mustafi signed for just over £50m in total.
The pair are of undoubted quality and will slot straight into Arsene Wenger’s plans for the coming weeks, adding depth in north London. But, have the capital club really got enough options to compete for an ever-elusive title?
The above question started a debate in FFC Towers, and we’re not quite sure Arsenal have enough. To back this up, let’s look at each department and who could be getting game time across the 2016/17 season…
Goalkeeper
Petr Cech – The standout No.1, Cech will play at least 90% of Arsenal’s league games, barring injury, this season, and will surely be called upon in the bigger cup matches.
David Ospina – The Colombian remains a Gunners player despite widespread rumours for well over 12 months and could be used in cup matches and the Champions League.
Emiliano Martinez – The Argentine youngster is around to make up the numbers, but might get game time in an injury crisis or early cup matches.
Right-back
Hector Bellerin – The Spaniard has made the right-back berth his own over the past 18 months or so, with his blistering pace on the flank a hallmark of the Gunners’ game, both in an attacking sense and defensively.
Mathieu Debuchy – The Frenchman is currently nursing an injury that prevented him from leaving London on Deadline Day, but he’s an experienced player and might get minutes later in the season when Bellerin needs to be rested.
Carl Jenkinson – The England international’s ACL injury forced him back early from a loan spell at West Ham last season, but if he can recover he could get matches come 2017.
Centre-back
Laurent Koscielny – The France international is Arsenal’s key defender and should be back to full fitness by the coming weekend after being eased back in after the EUROs by Wenger.
Shkodran Mustafi – The £35m German is likely to slot straight into Wenger’s XI, and will be looked to to transfer the mixture of technique and brute force that win him so much praise in La Liga to the Premier League.
Rob Holding – With Mertesacker and Gabriel both injured, Holding is already a first-team regular at Arsenal. His game time is likely to dip now that the above pair are available, but Holding can expect to play in cup matches over the coming months.
Per Mertesacker – The big German will be back around the winter period and will be of vital importance when the games are coming thick and fast.
Gabriel Paulista – how much of a future the Brazilian has at Arsenal remains up in the air after an underwhelming start to life in the north of London, but his absence has been noticed due to injuries of late.
Left-back
Nacho Monreal – The Spaniard has been reborn over the past 12 – 18 months and is now the runaway starter at left-back. He’s more defensively responsible than Bellerin on the opposite flank, making for a nice balance.
Kieran Gibbs – the England international will get matches by virtue of a lack of options and could yet prove himself at the Emirates Stadium.
Central midfield
Granit Xhaka – Signed for £30m+, the robust Swiss midfielder was phenomenal against Watford and is likely to be the bedrock of Wenger’s midfield. His all-energy playing style and combativeness are what many fans and pundits have been calling for.
Santi Cazorla – The silky Spaniard has moved back into a more reserved role over the course of the last year and has shown how effective he can be at dictating the tempo of the game through his neat passing.
Aaron Ramsey – The Welshman is currently out of action with a hamstring injury but is likely to edge back into the team over the coming few weeks. Ramsey and Xhaka look to be the pairing of choice for Wenger going forward.
Francis Coquelin – The tough-tackling Frenchman is the closest thing Arsenal have to an actual holding midfielder, so he’s sure to get game time against the bigger sides in European and domestic football, and will often be used from the bench to see out matches.
Mohamed Elneny – The Egyptian is neat on the ball and can win back possession, but he seems like 7/10 player in all aspects. He’ll get minutes on the pitch, but he’s by no means a key man.
Attacking midfield
Mesut Ozil – The man that makes Arsenal tick, Ozil is one of the best ‘No.10s’ in the Premier League. Playing just behind the main striker, the German can drift and link up with team-mates, while he’s shown he’s adept at taking chances when they come along.
Alexis Sanchez – Arguably on par with Ozil in the ‘key man’ stakes, Sanchez is all-action and, when things are going well, unplayable. The Chilean has started the season up front due to injuries, but his best position is on the left, where he can cut and use that deadly right foot.
Lucas Perez – Signed as a striker from Deportivo La Coruna, it would be no surprise to see Perez slot in as one of the attacking midfield three. Indeed, the Spaniard spent much of his early career in a deeper role and was one of the most creative players in La Liga last season.
Aaron Ramsey – Ramsey might often be used in a wide attacking midfield role given his delivery and clever movement.
Theo Walcott – Surely now is the time for Walcott to step up? The Englishman has had a few ‘last chances’ at Arsenal, yet this one feels like it could be final, with the right-wing position uncertain in north London.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – Like Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain seems to be to be battling for his future this season and looked impressive against Liverpool when he came on in the opening weekend loss. The Englishman has pace, but needs to work on his consistency.
Alex Iwobi – Arsenal’s breakout man of 2015/16 will get matches under his belt this season.
Centre-forward
Olivier Giroud – Like him or loathe him, Giroud is Arsenal’s main centre-forward. The Frenchman clearly appreciated by Wenger, who makes use of his hold-up and link-up play, which can be devastating.
Lucas Perez – The Spanish attacker shone in a relatively poor Deportivo La Coruna team as the main striker last season, and his pacey approach offers a nice alternative to Giroud’s traditional ‘No.9’ style.
Chuba Akpom – Raw, but with speed and power, Akpom has a bright future. He might get games in cup action early this season.
Danny Welbeck – Out until early 2017 with another injury, Welbeck may feel ‘like a new signing’ when he comes back.
Yaya Sanogo – Yep, he’s still an Arsenal player. It’s hard to envisage the Frenchman playing much, if at all, across the season.