Arsenal won’t be playing European football this season for the first time in quarter of a century.
The Gunners went backwards under Mikel Arteta last season and the future of club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hangs in the balance.
A weak defence and inconsistency have been a huge problem for the North London club. But with only a handful of players at Euro 2020 and the 2021 Copa America this summer and no trips abroad during the season, a well-rested squad could be challenging for the top six this upcoming season.
Arteta’s side are all the way back at 5/1 just to finish in the top four according to odds in VA. To strengthen their chances, here are three players that could be signed on the cheap to help improve the Arsenal squad:
Jerome Boateng
The 32-year-old centre-back left Bayern Munich earlier this summer having won everything possible in Germany. Jerome Boateng has some Premier League experience under his belt too, formerly of Manchester City.
76 caps for the German national team, a wealth of Champions League experience and numerous medals in his collection, should Arsenal be able to lure Boateng to the Emirates Stadium it could be what they need to sure things up at the back.
The Gunners have allowed David Luiz to leave this season, whilst the likes of Rob Holding and Pablo Mari have failed to impress. How does a Gabriel and Jerome Boateng centre-back partnership sound?
Julian Draxler
Despite renewing his deal at Paris Saint-Germain earlier this year, Julian Draxler continues to be linked with a move away from the French Ligue 1 side. The 27-year-old has been in and out of the first team at the Parc des Princes ever since he moved there as a highly-rated youngster from VfL Wolfsburg in 2016.
The 56-time German international has something to prove now, particularly if he wants to get back into the national team ahead of next year’s World Cup. It is understood PSG would be willing to offload the attacking midfielder for £30 million to free up some salary cap and the Premier League could be an ideal destination for Draxler to rebuild his career.
Arsenal don’t have as many playmakers in their side as their fans would like to believe. Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard have both gone back to Real Madrid too. On top of that, this German has a good long range shot on him to score goals from midfield.
Idrissa Gueye
Another hole Arsenal desperately need to fill is in holding midfield. The defence have had little protection from the likes of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey. One option here could be Paris Saint-Germain’s Idrissa Gueye.
The Senegal international was linked with a loan move to Newcastle United back in January and has experience with both Aston Villa and Everton in the Premier League. Now 31 years old and struggling to hold down a regular spot in Mauricio Pochettino’s side, he could opt for a first team role.
Gueye would no doubt upgrade Arsenal defensively to give their attacking players more freedom to attack.