Five Issues Arsene Wenger Must Solve At Arsenal

Bringing in Switzerland international midfielder Granit Xhaka before June was a good start to the summer for Arsenal, but Arsene Wenger still has a long to-do list during this transfer window if the club are to mount a Premier League title charge.

After last year’s inactivity — when Arsenal didn’t sign a single outfield player — this promises to be Wenger’s busiest summer in years. Not only does he want to bring in a couple of more players, there are also plenty of question marks to address concerning his current squad.

Here’s a look at the five most pressing issues remaining for Arsenal this summer:

Sign a striker

Heard this one before? Yes, this seems to be Arsenal’s most pressing need every summer. But even Wenger has acknowledged that it needs to happen this time. It was clear even before Danny Welbeck’s long-term knee injury that the Gunners need a more reliable scorer up front than Olivier Giroud or Theo Walcott, and his absence has forced Wenger’s hand even more.

The only question is, where can they find one? Convincing teams to let go of their top strikers is always difficult (and expensive), which is why Spain international Alvaro Morata may be the likeliest option. Juventus want to keep him but don’t have a say in whether Real Madrid use their buyback clause to bring him back to the Bernabeu and sell him on for a quick profit.

Find a backup for the goalkeeping position

Petr Cech will be Arsenal’s No. 1 goalkeeper again next season, but who will be his backup? Neither David Ospina nor Wojciech Szczesny seem keen on settling for a backup role and could both be on their way out of the club this summer.

Arsenal still have Argentine Emiliano Martinez, who was on loan at Wolves last season, and under-21 keeper Matt Macey as potential solutions, but Wenger would probably prefer someone with more experience. If Cech stays healthy throughout the campaign then the name of his backup probably won’t matter too much. But if the 34-year-old veteran gets injured, this could be Wenger’s most important decision of the summer.

Sort out the future of fringe-players

Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are both too good to spend the majority of the season on the bench. And yet, barring injuries to other players, that’s their likely fate if they stay at Arsenal another year. Gibbs has been kept out of the left-back spot by Nacho Monreal and Oxlade-Chamberlain has several players ahead of him in the pecking order on the wing even when he’s fully fit – including new revelation Alex Iwobi.

Both have been linked with moves away from the Emirates this summer, and may opt to depart in order to find regular playing time. But those decisions need to be made fairly quickly if Arsenal are to bring in replacements — at least for Gibbs at left-back — while right-back Mathieu Debuchy’s future is also in doubt after going on loan to Bordeaux in January due to the emergence of Hector Bellerin.

Wenger has made it clear he expects Walcott to stay at the club, but there’s an argument to suggest that he’s had all the chances he’ll get.

Tie up Ozil and Sanchez to long-term deals

Bringing in new players sends a statement. But getting your two biggest stars to commit their long-term futures to the club would send an even bigger one.

Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez both have two years left on their current contracts, and the club wants them to ink new five-year deals to prevent any rivals from attempting to lure them away.

Neither has committed yet, with some reports suggesting they’re waiting to see which re-enforcements will be coming in this summer. Ozil has made it clear publicly that he wants the club to strengthen the squad — no surprise after seeing his teammates squander so many of the chances he created for them — and Sanchez has looked visibly upset at times too.

Regardless of what happens, Arsenal are highly unlikely to sell either player this summer. But with speculation about Arsene Wenger’s contract expected to be a constant talking point next season, it would be nice if the futures of their two stars are not in doubt as well.

Find a reliable centre-back

Laurent Koscielny is one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, but Wenger has been unable to find a perfect partner for the Frenchman. Per Mertesacker lost his starting position to Gabriel Paulista in the final months of the season, but the Brazilian’s inconsistency raised doubts about whether he can be a permanent solution.

At £16m, Calum Chambers remains the most expensive defender Arsenal have ever bought, but still seems far from a place in the XI, especially in the centre. Which means Wenger may have to test the transfer market again. Xhaka will do his part to strengthen Arsenal’s spine, but a second top-class centre-back is a must to challenge for the title.