When Arsenal lost Theo Walcott to injury last season, their attacking prowess was notably blunted. In the early parts of the season Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott had linked up well, with the fleet-footed English winger using his pace to get in behind and cause havoc. But when he picked up his long-term injury Arsenal lacked an outlet.
They were left playing the ball into Olivier Giroud, who’s not exactly the nippiest centre-forward and tends to play with his back to goal. Without Walcott, the Arsenal system just isn’t quite as effective.
As such, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Arsene Wenger target a pacey winger or two in this summer’s transfer window. Adding a bit of squad depth in this area could make all the difference next season.
This brings me to The Mirror‘s claim that Arsenal have now joined the race to sign Barcelona’s superstar winger, Alexis Sanchez. The Gunners will face competition from clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United and Juventus. This doesn’t look like it’ll be an easy deal to close.
But then again, Alexis Sanchez is the real deal. Last season he made 54 appearances for Barca, scoring 21 goals and making 17 assists. That’s a truly staggering return. It’s difficult to see why Barcelona would want to get rid of a player who’s clearly very important to them at this moment in time.
But if Barca are willing to sell, then it’s up to Arsenal to put in a decent offer. If Arsene Wenger is willing to spend big, then he could well barge his way to the front of the queue.
The Gunners would still need to sign a world-class striker in order to compete next season, but adding threat down the flanks would make for a good start. After having come so close to winning the title last year, it’s up to Arsene Wenger to push this team on and bring in some top quality players. It’s clear to me that Alexis Sanchez qualifies here.
Let’s just hope that The Professor is willing to loosen his purse strings this summer.
What’s your take? Would Alexis Sanchez help to improve this Arsenal side?
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