With the summer transfer market now open for business, Arsenal will be looking to add quality to their squad in an effort to return to Europe’s elite competition - the Champions League.
It’s no secret that the north Londoners do not have a budget comparable to the likes of Manchester City, so they will need to be frugal with their spending. Here’s a list of four players that could potentially have an immediate impact at Arsenal, whilst not costing the earth.
Joachim Andersen
Club: Sampdoria
Position: Centre back
Age: 23
Having already been linked with a move to the Gunners, Joachim Andersen represents a potential fix for Arsenal’s on-going defensive issues. The Dane is an imposing figure, standing at six feet and four inches and is a clever reader of the game.
Coming off the back of his best campaign for Serie A side Sampdoria, Andersen could be ready to slot into Arsenal’s defence, with considerable room to develop at just 23 years of age.
Amadou Diawara
Club: Napoli
Position: Defensive midfielder
Age: 21
Amadou Diawara burst onto the scene during the 2016/16 season with Serie A side Bologna. He caught the eye with his energetic performances in the middle of the park, winning tackles in key areas and starting attacks for his team with accurate passing.
His form saw him make the move to Napoli in 2016/17, and despite enjoying a promising first season, fell slightly out of favour when new boss Carlo Ancelotti took over in 2017/18.
Diawara could be a good option for Arsenal, adding physicality in the centre of midfield, his playing style would complement that of Granit Xhaka or Lucas Torreira.
Cengiz Ünder
Club: Roma
Position: Winger
Age: 21
Arsenal’s lack of wide options proved costly during the back end of last season. With only Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan comfortable playing out wide, Unai Emery switched to a 3-4-3 formation in order to accommodate the options at his disposal.
Cengiz Ünder is a genuine wide player who can take on his man and has an eye for goal - not to mention a dangerous burst of pace which could be a nightmare for any full back.
A potential stumbling block for this deal might be Roma’s asking price, with the Italian giants valuing their man at £60m.
Kieran Tierney
Club: Celtic
Position: Left back
Age: 22
With Nacho Monreal in decline and Sead Kolasinac yet to convince, left full back has suddenly become a priority position for Arsenal.
Kieran Tierney has been a mainstay in the Celtic side since being promoted from the clubs academy and boasts an impressive three PFA Scottish Young Player of the Year awards.
Tierney is as comfortable going forward as he is in defence, meaning he could feature at left back or left wing back should the need arise.
The Scot is perhaps at the stage in his career where he will be looking for a step up, and the Gunners could be an ideal destination for the Scottish international to showcase his talent.