Arsenal's transfer checklist: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Chris Smalling, Mesut Ozil, Nicolas Pepe, Wilfried Ndidi - why Mikel Arteta should fix his own squad first
Mikel Arteta's first summer transfer window as Arsenal boss will come under difficult circumstances as he looks to remould his squad.
As much as Gunners fans will want to see a Man City style revolution, the Spaniard's coaching ability will be put to the test with spending expected to be fairly limited.
After spending around £160m last summer under Unai Emery and the club's technical scouting team - on Nicolas Pepe, William Saliba, Kieran Tierney, David Luiz, Gabriel Martinelli and Dani Ceballos on loan - and the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, it is expected that Arsenal will have to be prudent, and potentially sell players in order to bring some in.
We take a look at their squad and put together a five-point plan for Arteta, including moves for two players from Premier League rivals.
1. Keep hold of Aubameyang
We've seen it so often, Arsenal shelling out for a big name and he goes on to look like a shadow of his former self during his time at the Emirates.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, it has been quite the opposite.
After tearing it up for Borussia Dortmund over a number of years, the Gabon forward arrived in January 2018 with a weight of expectation, more so given his £56m transfer fee.
He has formed an excellent understanding with another big-money buy in Alexandre Lacazette and shared the Golden Boot with Sadio Mane and Mo Salah last season, impressive considering the Gunners' pretty poor campaign.
His record of 61 goals and 13 assists in 97 Arsenal appearances, coupled with his contract expiring in 2021, has fuelled talk of interest from Real Madrid and PSG, with some reports suggesting his head may have been turned.
Having been criticised for his lifestyle away from the pitch, and attitude on it, in the past, Arsenal fans cannot fault his commitment since arriving in 2018. So much so, that he's now club captain.
He is undoubtedly their most valuable asset.
Without Aubameyang's goals, this season would have been even more of a struggle.
Gunners legend Ian Wright recently said "I hope to God he stays" in an interview with social media channel Sporf, but added that he would not fault him for choosing to leave at this stage of his career.
He turns 31 this month, so Arsenal will have to start thinking about life without him, but for now his performances show he remains a priority.
Surely they have learned about losing players on the cheap, with Aaron Ramsey's free-transfer departure last summer the worst example.
A new contract for Aubameyang won't come cheap so they'll have to decide whether to cash in or to match his wage demands. For me, he's irreplaceable.
2. Sort out the defence
Arsenal have been in need of an assured defender for years. Probably since Thomas Vermaelen's departure for Barcelona in 2014, with Laurent Koscielny in and out of the side and not always consistent without a solid partner beside him.
It was hoped Pablo Mari could slot in for the remainder of the campaign and beyond, with his initial loan deal having an option to be made permanent for a total of £12m. While that's a pretty reasonable price in today's market, it remains to be seen whether the Gunners will be willing to pay it.
Either way, they need to fix the back-line. In goal, Bernd Leno has come good, with these stats showing he is among the busiest keepers in the league.
With Hector Bellerin, Cedric Soares, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Kieran Tierney, Sead Kolasinac and Bukayo Saka providing decent competition in the full-back positions, the centre has to be the priority.
The final nine games will be a good chance for Mari to stake his claim.
The Spaniard looks comfortable in possession, is a decent tackler and reads the game well. But on his own, he will have to be some player to be the answer to Mikel Arteta's problems. Arsenal's very own Virgil van Dijk, Aymeric Laporte or Harry Maguire.
Elsewhere in the list of the Gunners' central defensive options, there are conflicting reports over David Luiz's contractual situation, that is whether or not he joined or a one or two-year deal from Chelsea last summer. Either way, Arteta seems keen to keep hold of the experienced 33-year-old.
Sokratis has shown promise, but been hit-and-miss, Shokdran Mustafi faces a long way back after some poor displays saw him heavy criticised by the club's fans, and Rob Holding has never quite managed to hold down a regular place in the team.
All three have reportedly been put for sale as Arsenal look to raise funds, so Arteta can rebuild.
With money seemingly tight, Calum Chambers is another who could face the chop. Although the face he is returning from a long-term injury could mean he has the chance to prove himself first.
And it's easy to forget that the club signed another centre-half, along with Luiz, last summer.
Teenage Frenchman William Saliba joined for £27m before being immediately loaned back to St Etienne for the season. He's certainly one to keep an eye on.
What's clear is that Arsenal have a few indifferent options, a few half decent ones, and a few untested ones. So Arteta must surely be considering reinforcements.
One player we recently looked at was Chris Smalling, a player who has been regularly linked with the Gunners this season,
And he could be the perfect fit.
The England defender has enjoyed his season-long loan in Italy, regaining confidence and improving both his tactical awareness and reading of the game thanks to the new experience of Serie A.
It's unlikely he will have a way back at Manchester United and although his stock has risen in Rome, he may still be available on the cheap, with a £13m pre-pandemic price tag suggested in January.
In defence of his recent time at Old Trafford, regular managerial change post-Sir Alex Ferguson - David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - has hardly made things easy.
At 30-years-old, he's experienced and entering the prime of his career.
Comfortable on the ball, a leader and a Premier League winner, Smalling pretty much ticks all the boxes. He could guide the youngsters around him and even be the ideal partner for Mari.
No Champions League football for Roma, and the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic means they're unlikely to be his permanent destination. And as an east-London boy, a move to Arsenal, and much closer to home, seems like the right fit.
3. Someone to boss midfield
As is the case with the centre of defence, Arsenal's central midfield options are strange.
Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi are promising, but the deep-lying pair are still a bit raw and not quite 'Arsenal quality' just yet.
Granit Xhaka, meanwhile, has done well to fight his way back into the picture since THAT Emirates tantrum, but continues to be hit and miss.
Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and Gilberto Silva all led the team, broke up play and did the dirty work in the engine room, as well as spraying passes and dictating play. But it is now 15 years since Arsenal had a world-class player in that role.
Wilfried Ndidi would be perfect.
He has helped fill Leicester's N'Golo Kante-shaped void, allowing their more creative players the freedom to attack. It's no coincidence Leicester were winless in February when Ndidi was missing.
The Nigerian's stats have been impressive for a couple of seasons, with only Everton's Idrissa Gueye edging him in the holding midfield charts before his exit to PSG. He's among the best in the Premier League in that position. It's surprising there have been so few murmurs linking him with a move.
Despite missing a month of the campaign, Ndidi leads the way in both successful tackles (91) and interceptions (joint with Declan Rice on 61). The fact he's only collected three bookings all campaign shows how clinical he is in the tackle.
It would be an ambitious move if Arsenal were to go for him. After all, he is at a current top-four side and he will not come cheap. But Ndidi could be the perfect anchorman for Arteta, in a similar way that Fernandinho has been for Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side.
Declan Rice runs Ndidi close in the defensive midfield stats, and has been close to a step up in level for a couple of seasons now. A club such as Arsenal could be ideal to continue his progression, while staying close to home. An experienced former midfielder like Arteta could be just what he needs too.
With money an issue though, don't be surprised to see Xhaka remain as Arsenal's man in that role, flanked by Torreira and Guendouzi.
Best Premier League midfielders: Ndidi tops season-long tackling and interception charts
4. Balance the squad to suit Arteta
There has been a definite improvement since Mikel Arteta replaced Unai Emery - just imagine what he could do with a better, more balanced group of players.
On one hand, they have some exciting young players coming through who could have excellent careers with Arteta's guidance. Then there are more established players, who just do not cut the mustard often enough: Shokdran Mustafi, Mohamed Elneny and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (both currently out on loan), Rob Holding, Granit Xhaka and even Mesut Ozil (more on him later).
Dani Ceballos was an expensive loan signing from Real Madrid and made a promising start before tailing off. His long-term future appears to be back with the Spanish giants.
A good squad revamp is needed.
Clearing out the deadwood would both raise funds to bring in the calibre of player Arteta wants, and leave space for the promising youngsters to continue to play and improve.
That has been shown in the forwards department, where Arsenal are now quite well stocked, and Arteta can be optimistic with Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Martinelli and Reiss Nelson all pushing to start.
Martinelli was signed as an unknown last summer and the Brazilian teenager has contributed 10 goals and four assists while only being on the fringes of the first team. A fantastic example of the strides players can make when given a chance.
5. Sort Ozil's future and get the best out of Pepe
Not many players divide opinion more than Mesut Ozil does.
Despite all the ups and downs during his seven years at the Emirates, lifting the FA Cup three times, he's certainly been a decent servant for the club.
But value for money? Not quite. Considering he is their top earner on a reported £350,000-a-week, definitely not.
He's been quite unsettled for the last couple of years and his performances have been nowhere near the level they should be. It's probably best for both that he moves on, rather than waiting for him to come good again.
If Arsenal can clear his hefty pay packet off the wage bill, and a 31-year-old Ozil can start afresh for the twilight years of his career, surely it's win win?
The German has managed just a goal and an assist from 18 Premier League appearances this term, with an average of fewer than one shot per game, and just over two key passes, one cross and one long ball.
In 25 appearances, Kevin De Bruyne - albeit in a better side - has eight goals, 16 assists, nearly three shots per game, nearly four key passes, 2.5 crosses and more than three long balls.
His attitude and application hasn't been good enough under Arsene Wenger or Unai Emery and hasn't exactly picked up much under Arteta.
His current deal has a year to run and it's hard to see either party wanting a new bumper deal, so rather than lose him for nothing, Arsenal could at least recoup a little bit this summer.
A player who can help ease the loss of Ozil is Nicolas Pepe.
Last summer's £72m record signing. It has been a difficult first campaign for the Ivory Coast international, not helped by an unsettled team and change of head coach.
But he's still managed to score six goals and set up eight during a season in which the 25-year-old has had to adjust and familiarise himself with the English game.
Pepe has the potential to be part of one of the Premier League's most dangerous front threes alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
If Arteta can get them all firing, and provide a sturdier midfield and defence behind them, Arsenal certainly don't need Ozil.
Arsenal's 2020/21 XI based on these signings
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