Arsenal have conducted excellent business in the summer transfer window, which has resulted in a decent pre-season for Mikel Arteta’s side. However, there is still work to be done in the remaining weeks of the window.
Arteta’s side are still short of the best quality in the midfield position, and it is an area of the pitch that Edu needs to address. It seems the Gunners have narrowed the new options in this department down to two players in Lucas Paqueta and Youri Tielemans.
However, if Arsenal are to opt for Paqueta then Edu must be proactive rather than reactive. Losing out on Bruno Guimaraes is a perfect reminder of why the Gunners must move quickly in the transfer window.
READ MORE: Edu tells Lucas Paqueta he must do to convince Arsenal to invest as Lyon prepare for sale
Eddie Howe added Bruno Guimaraes to his Newcastle team in the previous January transfer window, despite Arsenal also reportedly being interested in the midfielder, which caused unrest amongst the fanbase. The Gunners failed to sign a midfielder in the winter window, which made losing out on Guimaraes feel even worse for the north London side, as he certainly would have improved Mikel Arteta’s midfield
The same situation could follow with Paqueta. According to French news outlet RMC Sport, Arsenal are interested in the Brazilian but they have not submitted any offers yet.
It seems to be Déjà vu with the Guimaraes transfer as according to the Times, Newcastle are lining up a €60million (£50m) for Lucas Paqueta ahead of next season. The player has reportedly already announced his desire to leave Lyon.
The Gunners have previously been linked to Paqueta this season. And with him now reportedly being available for a move, it is a deal that Edu could look to get over the line.
Mikel Arteta had problems with the midfield last season due to the lack of quality in squad depth, and that hindered the club’s progress at times. If the Spaniard opts for three players in the centre of midfield then Paqueta would be an excellent option to have on the left-hand side for the future.
Paqueta joined the Ligue 1 side from AC Milan ahead of the 2019/2020 season and has since then gone on to make 64 appearances, scoring 18 goals while providing 11 assists in the process. Arsenal certainly need to add to their midfield firepower, and Paqueta would certainly be a good signing if he is available and there is an extra incentive to beat Newcastle to his signature after they stole Guimaraes in January.
The Lyon man would be an excellent addition to Arteta’s squad and would add to the strong Brazilian contingent that is already at his disposal. Edu should certainly come through with a strong proposal for Paqueta on why he should make the switch to Arsenal instead of Newcastle, and the Guimaraes failure should remind Edu to be proactive rather than reactive.
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