It’s no secret that Arsenal haven’t quite got their wide positions nailed down this season so far, so who could they sign to give the squad a boost?
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is struggling for form and Alex Iwobi is only performing well when he plays on the left. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is filling that left-hand spot but doesn’t seem nearly as effective as in the middle. With Reiss Nelson on loan, Arsenal are lacking options, particularly on the right.
Let’s have a look at the players that the media have already hinted are on Arsenal head of recruitment Sven Mislintat’s shortlist ahead of the January transfer window.
5Nicolas Pepe
- Age: 23
- Position: Right Winger
- Contract until: 2022
- Club: LOSC Lille
- Estimated transfer value: £22.5m
The media have linked Pepe to Arsenal pretty heavily in recent weeks and months. Those links have only got stronger since the season got underway, with the winger scoring eight goals, providing six assists and winning multiple penalties for his side as well, in 14 appearances so far.
With Danny Welbeck’s injury, Arsenal are reportedly being forced to ‘rethink’ their January transfer plans, and they could move for Pepe sooner rather than later. The player himself recently admitted it was ‘good’ to be linked to the likes of the Gunners, Bayern and Dortmund.
The spanner in the works is that Pepe’s incredible start to the season has made his club very hesitant to sell. Lille president Gerard Lopez and vice-president Marc Ingla have both spoken publicly to say that, in principle, they don’t want to sell before the summer.
We’ll see if Arsenal can change their minds but, for now, let’s look at some alternative options.
Click ‘Next’ for more Arsenal-linked wingers ahead of the January window