After starting off on a bright note, Arsenal have fallen away from the title race quite predictably and again, it’s Arsene Wenger who will have to shoulder most of the blame. His stubbornness and rigidness has made it tough for the Gunners to be consistently successful. Besides that, there is also a lot of uncertainty regarding the futures of superstars Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, who are yet to sign new contracts with the club.
Wenger’s reluctance to give in to Ozil’s, and in particular Sanchez’s demands, has led to agents making the most of the situation and that has thrown the stars’ futures at the club up in the air. They’ve also fallen off the place quite considerably and find themselves outside the Champions League places. If they do fail to qualify for the Champions League, it will be for the first time in 21 years and having done well so far, Wenger won’t want that record to disappear.
He will first of all be hoping for his team to finish the season on a strong note and finish in a respectable position. In the Champions League, they face the Herculean task of overturning a 5-1 first leg defeat to Bayern Munich. Even the sternest of Arsenal fans will know that it’s beyond them and focusing on the league from here on is essential for Wenger’s men.
It’s also clear that Wenger will be planning for the summer, where recruitment is a must. The Napoli duo of Lorenzo Insigne and Faouzi Ghoulam have been linked with moves to Arsenal as The Gunners could definitely do with those acquisitions. Spaniard Nacho Monreal has been average at times, whereas Gibbs has also been exposed, most recently in the game against Bayern Munich.
Further up the pitch, Lucas Perez has failed to make the impact Wenger expected him to. Although Welbeck has returned to the fray, Arsenal will still need some attacking re-enforcements and the acquisition of Italian international Lorenzo Insigne could spark up their attacking fortunes. With Alexis Sanchez not committing his future to the club, there is a possibility that the Chilean could depart the Emirates Stadium if his financial requests are not met.
Under such circumstances, bringing in attacking players will be something that is inevitable and Insigne fits the Arsenal bill. Standing at just 5 ft 4 in, Insigne is a diminutive player that packs a punch. Able to play as an attacking midfielder or a left winger, Insigne has been a consistent performer for Napoli. He gets his fair share of goals and assists as well, thus representing himself as a nice option for Arsene Wenger to look at.
Insigne has been linked with a move to Arsenal in the past as well, but the move never materialized due to Napoli’s reluctance to let him go. But at 25, it could be the perfect age for him to test himself in English waters and a move to Arsenal could be a boon, rather than a bane. He would certainly freshen up an Arsenal attack that has sometimes looked lack-lustrous this season.
On the other hand, The Gunners are also after defensive re-enforcements, particularly in the left-back area, where Monreal and Gibbs have let Wenger down repeatedly. Ghoulam is said to be on the top of Wenger’s shopping list as he thinks the former Saint-Etienne man could be an upgrade on Gibbs and Monreal. At 6 ft 2 in, he’s also more than capable of playing at centre-back and that versatility could help Arsenal.
Thus, a move for this Napoli duo would certainly be enterprising, but whether the Naples team will be ready to let go of two of their star players is something that’s up for debate. Nevertheless, Wenger should look to test the waters by making bids for the players, who would considerably improve the Arsenal squad.