As reported by The Daily Star, Arsene Wenger has been handed a massive £150m transfer budget, at the minimum, this summer as he prepares to build an Arsenal squad capable of competing for the English Premier League title.
After pledging his future to the Gunners by signing a new two-year contract, it appears he’s been promised the resources that could see them finally able to match the spending power of the other massive clubs in division.
Of course, that money doesn’t go as far as it used to in world football, even compared to five years ago, but it’s still a huge amount and will allow Wenger to target some of the top talent across England and Europe.
We reckon that far from signing a barrel load of players, the Gunners boss should focus on three or four targets that could potentially bring the club to the next level.
Here are THREE stars that should be at the top of Wenger’s wishlist…
Jordan Pickford
Sunderland may have been consistently dire in the English Premier League last season but the fact remains that Jordan Pickford is one of the brightest goalkeeping prospects in the country.
The Black Cats only won five games across their league campaign but of those five wins, four were thanks in part to clean sheets. The shot-stopper made 135 saves across the season, 20 more than Arsenal number one Petr Cech and second in the entire division behind Tom Heaton at Burnley.
Cech may not quite be done at the highest level quite yet but Pickford would certainly push him for the number one spot and if necessary play a perfect role as a number two and coach of sorts to the inexperienced Pickford. Still just 23 years of age, he has a decade plus left of playing time and getting in early on his talent this summer could end up being a stellar bit of business from Arsenal.
He’s a potential future England number one too, which would only increase his value.
Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk is possibly the most sought after defender in Europe right now with massive clubs linked with the Dutchman on a seemingly continual basis.
Arsenal are one of those according to The Daily Mail, who say he could cost any suitors up to £50m if they want to prise him away from Southampton. With Arsene Wenger’s new spending power, it at least puts them into the conversation around his signing and he would undoubtedly add a lot of class and poise to the Gunners’ backline.
At 6ft 4ins tall, he would help solve their problems with set-pieces. Of the 44 goals they conceded in the Premier League last season, a massive 39% of them came from dead ball situations.
Perhaps most importantly though, he has shown the leadership skills to really shine most when Southampton are under pressure, often being the literal last line of defence when times are tough for the Saints. That leadership has arguably been something missing from Arsenal in recent years and his signature could be a game changer for Wenger’s defence.
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe may be the teenager with most potential across the entirety of European football right now, blowing away Monaco fans and neutrals alike with outstanding performances both in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League over the last season.
Scoring an incredible 26 goals and creating 8 assists in 44 appearances in all competitions, he’s taken French football by storm, apparently having all the attributes to be a massive success in the English Premier League.
In conjunction with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, he could add real danger to the Arsenal attack, with the versatility to play either as a striker or across attacking midfield.
Reported by The Sun to be valued at around £87m, he would obviously be a massive investment but if they have the chance to secure a potential next Thierry Henry then surely his acquisition is a no-brainer?
