Arsenal must strengthen at the back if they are to remain competitive in the Premier League. Unai Emery must work quickly in the transfer market to address the club’s fragile defence.
George Graham and Arsene Wenger built the Arsenal teams of the past on the foundations of a solid defence. The Gunners finished fifth in the Premier League, and they’ve earned the right to play in this season’s Europa League final. It’s not all good news at the Emirates Stadium, and Unai Emery faces a tough summer ahead.
Arsenal have been sensational in front of goal, scoring 73 times, the third highest total in the Premier League. Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang was one of three strikers to share the Premier League golden boot, with 22 goals.
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Alexandre Lacazette has complimented the Gunners attack, scoring 13 times. Both aforementioned players combined for 13 goals in the Europa League. Emery has got the luxury of a good forward line, but Arsenal’s problems lie at the other end of the pitch.
The Gunners conceded 17 goals in the 1998/99 season. In 2004, Arsenal did the unthinkable by winning the Premier League without losing a single game, they also boasted the best defence in the country.
The club have struggled to keep the ball out of the net in recent seasons. Bernd Leno kept six clean sheets in a campaign that saw the Gunners concede 51 goals. Manchester United and West Ham United are the only sides in the top-10 to have conceded more than the Gunners.
Recruitment could be a problem for Emery. The club’s finances are fragile, and several exuberant contracts haven’t helped matters. Mesut Özil’s contract expires in 2021, now is the time to sell the player and raise funds for new signings. Juventus took advantage of Aaron Ramsey’s contract situation. The Italian champions will sign Ramsey on a free transfer, it’s a scenario that has cost the Gunners £36m.
The former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn played under Graham and Wenger. Winterburn believes the club must invest in the attack.
"Everyone will say that defensively Arsenal haven’t been great again this season, but it’s not just about the defence. It’s about when Arsenal do concede how quickly they get played through the lines.I’m quite excited about what’s going to happen to Arsenal next season and I’m very intrigued to see where Emery thinks Arsenal need strengthening. But my own thoughts are a wide player and another midfielder.Potentially another centre-half but I can’t see much more than that coming into the club because we’re hearing that Arsenal haven’t got a vast amount of money to spend – via Love Sport Radio"
Fans want to see their club making improvements, but the Gunners are unlikely to splash the cash in the Summer transfer window. The Arsenal manager has done a great job with the resources available to him.
The real challenge for Emery to find a rough diamond in the lower leagues. Emery has the potential to achieve good things with Arsenal, but he must fix a porous defence in the Summer, or risk falling away from the top-six.