The summer transfer window may have been and gone, but Arsenal's recruitment team will already be hard at work to ensure plans are in place for January and even next summer. Although a combined £270million has been spent on 11 new signings over the past year, worrying gaps in Mikel Arteta's squad remain despite the overall level being raised.
One of those gaps is in the wing department following the loan departure of Nicolas Pepe. Arsenal were planning to sign a replacement for the Ivorian in the remaining days of the transfer window until injuries to Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny changed those plans late on.
The decision was made to pursue a midfielder instead, namely Douglas Luiz, but the club was ultimately unsuccessful in its attempts to sign the Brazilian from Aston Villa. As a result, Arteta will now have to go without a new midfielder and winger until the winter at least.
