There’s still a couple of months until the 2021/22 Premier League season gets going in earnest, and that’s more than enough time for Mikel Arteta to give his Arsenal squad a much-needed spring clean.
The pressure will be on the Spaniard from the get-go, given that the Gunners endured one of their poorest campaigns in recent times last season.
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Though it could be said that Arteta was still shaping the squad to his liking, he can’t dine out on that excuse any longer.
This will be his team, his shape, his tactics, and to that end, there’ll be no hiding place if it all goes pear-shaped again.
It’s vital that targets are secured, and to that end, Lyon’s Houssem Aouar is now a realistic buy given that his fee has plummeted from €55m a year ago, to nearer €20m this summer according to The Sun.
That’s a much more achievable price, and at just 22 years of age with an enviable skill set, he’s precisely the type of player that Arteta should be looking at to move the club forward again.