We may only be in October, but with new manager Unai Emery looking to make his mark, the Gunners are already being linked with many moves in the transfer market – with some a little closer to home than you may expect.
The first surprising link is to Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus Cheek. The English midfielder has struggled to earn game time under new manager Maurizio Sarri and following some encouraging performances for club and country last season, he is now expecting more regular game time. Is that something he could get at Arsenal? Perhaps if Aaron Ramsey left, but is Loftus-Cheek of a high enough calibre to be a replacement?
If you look at where he is now, then no. Ruben is not at Ramsey’s level. But he is only 22 and does possess some attributes that would be very welcome to the clubs midfield – the main one being strength and ability to dribble past opponents.
His end product has always been the question mark for Loftus-Cheek and history has shown he’s struggled in that aspect, but he’s still so young and his performance for Chelsea in the Europa League against BATE Borisov showed improvements in this area. That performance will only increase Ruben’s appetite for first team football and it could be a good time for Arsenal to swoop.
The other surprising link is to Liverpool’s Alberto Moreno. The Spaniard has made some quite high profile defensive mistakes in the Premier League for Liverpool and I’m not sure I want him at Arsenal.
Emery does encourage forward thinking full-backs and plays with two holding midfielders to allow them to play with more attacking freedom, but I’m not sure this is the best move.
I hope the press have just put two and two together. Emery used to work for Sevilla, Moreno used to play there and there are question marks at left-back for Arsenal, Moreno wants to leave Liverpool = easy rumour generator.
The original story for this one comes from The Mirror, and it is a bit loose in terms of evidence.
Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac have struggled for fitness so far this season and that may have increased the appetite for Emery and co. to look in the shop window for a new left-back.