Although Arsenal appear transformed under new coach Mikel Arteta, former Gunners star turned pundit Paul Merson has suggested his former club are still short of a player or two.
Speaking to Sky Sports, cited by Football 365, Merson believes highly-rated Bournemouth centre-back, Nathan Ake, would be ideal alongside a new holding midfielder.
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“I think Arsenal need to play with a back three,” he said. “They’re not good enough defenders to play as a four. Ake has pace and he’s played in England for a while, so if you brought him in for next season he’s not a player who will need time to get used to the league for six months.”
The 24-year-old Dutchman was being tipped to return to former club, Chelsea, per Football365, and Frank Lampard has shown that he certainly has a track record for developing younger players, but a move to a new-look Arsenal may well appeal.
Since Unai Emery was sacked, a weight appears to have been lifted from the shoulders of the Arsenal squad, and the expansive, free-flowing play with which they are often associated has returned under Arteta.
Though that hasn’t yet translated into hugely positive results – Arsenal have won only three games since December – a decent defensive signing could shore up things and see the Gunners get back to being hard to beat as well as beautiful to watch.