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.
3Malcom
- Age: 21
- Position: Right Winger
- Contract until: 2023
- Club: FC Barcelona
- Estimated transfer value: £40.5m
It’s been difficult to write an article about Arsenal-linked wingers in the last year without mentioning Malcom at some stage.
Back in January, when Malcom was still playing for Bordeaux, the media heavily linked both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur to the Brazilian. Then in the summer, the same links reappeared again, but the player ended up moving to FC Barcelona instead.
You’d think that would be the end of it, but Malcom’s limited game time since his move means that’s not the case.
After playing just 25 minutes of football by late October, Barcelona chief executive Oscar Grau was reportedly under the impression that the player would be sold. There were also stories in the Spanish media suggesting the 21-year-old had already requested a transfer assuming his game time wouldn’t improve.
However, the winger did then get into the Barcelona team, making a start in the cup and scoring in a brief Champions League appearance. Unfortunately, that was followed by an early substitution after just 57 minutes in his first league start, whilst 2-0 down to Real Betis.
We’ll have to wait and see if that damages his future chances at the club. If it does, it seems like Arsenal will be waiting.
Click ‘Next’ for more Arsenal-linked wingers ahead of the January window