WINGER MOVES - FOUR TASTY SUMMER OPTIONS

FOUR PLAYERS THAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE THIS SUMMER

Welcome to Wednesday. It's 6 am, and I'm banging out a blog in the peaceful summer silence after reading that interview with Declan Rice. I won't spoil it for you, but it's striking how game-intelligent he is. The deeper message you extract from the piece is that Arsenal players are coached within an inch of their lives. There's very little that isn't thought of – it's like a Tactics University crash course. No accidents allowed.

That's why I thought last night's Bayern vs. Madrid game was an interesting spectacle. Thomas Tuchel is a very sharp manager who's structured and detail-oriented – Carlo Ancelotti isn't. Watching Toni Kroos point to Vini Jr., indicating where he was going to thread a line-breaking pass of outrageous ambition and perfect weight, really was a reminder of sheer talent being the difference-maker at the very highest level.

Overly controlled football has scooped up a lot of league titles, but the more free-flowing, expressive styles, delivered by teams dripping in individual talent, have tended to be better in the knockout rounds at the very highest level.

Watching Leroy Sane take control of the game with a warp-speed burst of pace into Real’s box before unleashing a Thor-like strike was another example of how individual talent is so important – and having players who can express themselves with miracle moments is maybe something we could do better with.

Not that Arsenal don't have individual talent – we have bundles of it. But I do feel like our system is the shining star of our story at the moment. That will shift and change as young players move into superstar status. It's also an opportunity for the club this summer.

Reiss Nelson was kept at the club last summer because the feeling was he was perfect for games that are too structured. If you're trailing 1-0 with 20 minutes to go, bringing his direct style of chaos to tired legs was seen as a spark for dry kindling. That idea hasn't really worked this year, but the concept should be considered by our scouts this summer.

There are some core positions that need addressing this summer – and maybe there will be some opportunistic moves if we end up shifting players like Zinchenko or Gabriel Jesus.

To my mind, I think the necessary positions will be a right winger, a striker, and a left-sided center back.

I spoke extensively about Evan Ferguson and Sesko yesterday – they are high-potential strikers that can drop deep, play in the channels, hold up the ball… and potentially be penalty box monsters. Those two are project strikers – if they weren't, they'd be fetching Haaland sums of money.

The wide player we need could also be a project name. We have Bukayo Saka in the side already. We don't need a 27-year-old like Sane because it would be a waste of money knowing who is in front of him. I'm also not sure we're at the financial levels to sign such expensive players as squad options.

Pedro Neto is a frontrunner based on what he can do in games.

He's in the 99th percentile for expected assists, he has goal threat, and he is a beast for progressive carries. He has 11 goals and 3 assists this season. Those numbers would be far higher if his body could handle his explosive power. His lack of consistent availability is a red flag.

There's also the South American route. Real Madrid and Barcelona have monopolized outrageous kids exiting that region of the world at an early age. Part of that is the culture – it's easier to adapt to Spain, the weather is favorable, the language is easy, and the clubs are absolutely revered in those regions. The Premier League has not attracted those sorts of names for a long time, but now we have Edu. So isn't it about time we started to make more of the talents exiting there?

The hottest name in that part of the world is Endrick...but he's already a Madrid player. Fear not though, Palmeiras have a new sensation named Estavão Willian. He played on the right for the same club as Endrick, he's been dubbed ‘Messinho’ because of his playing style, and all the big Brazilian writers are saying he could win a Ballon d'Or at some point.

Why can't Arsenal acquire players like this?

What was the purpose of Brexit if not to reduce barriers to entry for superstar youngsters who could illuminate the export of Premier League football?

This youngster is truly electrifying; the ball sticks to his feet, he's rapid, his movement is mindblowing, and he possesses that South American spicy sauce flair that’d make your mouth bleed if someone put a sprinkle on your Holloway Road mock-KFC crispy wings.

If we want to slug it out with the elite, we must move on the earths finest young talents, and that means discovering them at a very young age because every other club is venturing into these realms to avoid the monster premiums associated with hypothetical ceilings (just observe the Chelsea model).

Johann Bakayoko has personally demonstrated what he's capable of. Low center of gravity, strength, speed, and an eye for creating opportunities at PSV. He's 21 years old and has netted 13 goals and provided 14 assists this season. That form is eye-catching for a player of his age.

There's always a risk in selecting players from the Dutch league because the transition is quite steep - however, we have fancy analysts who can look at statistics and conduct research on those aspects of his game. Nonetheless, he has proven himself in European competition, and we've witnessed him bother Arsenal. This position could be a project, as they'll be vying with Bukayo, but we can invest in their development. It's also noteworthy that this guy has logged 3500 minutes this season - that's availability my friends and I like it.

My last suggestion for the day might seem a bit controversial - but if you appreciate Premier League players, then consider Liverpool's castoff, Anthony Gordon.

He wouldn’t come cheap, but he might be a more acceptable acquisition for Newcastle compared to Isak or Bruno. He has tallied 11 goals and 9 assists this season. I can't recall a player with higher levels of sheer speed. He's an incredible workhorse, excelling at pressing, and he comes across as very sharp when you hear him speak. He's been instrumental in providing goals across the frontline this season, even from the right flank. Having come up through the Liverpool academy, then finding his footing at Everton, he's been a standout performer at Newcastle. He could be an extremely promising option within our system, and at 23, he's still quite young.

Alright, that's my wrap-up. Let me know your thoughts! x