Rogers, Yıldız & Co: Five Arsenal left wing transfer targets

Upgrade on Trossard 

Despite losing the Champions League final, Arsenal have still unquestionably enjoyed a hugely successful season after winning the English Premier League. The feeling of pride amongst supporters was clearly visible as hundreds of thousands lined the streets of North London for the trophy parade, less than 24 hours after losing to PSG in Budapest. After years of falling just short, Arsenal ended a 22-year wait to be crowned champions and they were undeniably the best team in England this season.

Mikel Arteta has transformed the Gunners and they are comfortably the best defensive side in the world. The priority this summer will be improving their attacking options as they are significantly weaker in that area than their European rivals and they lack a world-class option. The main focus will be adding an elite left-winger with Lenardo Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli entering the last year of their contracts. Therefore, we’ve identified and analysed five potential targets for Arsenal to improve their starting eleven.

Five Arsenal left-wing targets

Arsenal’s long-standing interest in Morgan Rogers is well-documented and speculation has intensified in recent days. Qualifying for the Champions League will significantly boost Aston Villa’s finances and there’s less pressure for them to sell their prized asset this summer. Villa will hold out for a substantial fee for Rogers, understood to be in excess of €100m. Rogers isn’t a natural left-winger as he’s comfortable playing in a variety of attacking roles but he’d represent a brilliant signing for Arsenal. The England international registered 26 goal contributions across all competitions last season but any deal would realistically need to wait until after the World Cup.

Kenan Yıldız has been constantly linked to Arsenal across the last few years and he’d be an excellent addition. The 21-year-old will head to the World Cup with Turkiye off the back of his best season of his career with Juventus. Yildiz scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists in 47 appearances for the Old Lady to cement his reputation as one of the most exciting U21 talents in Europe. Yildiz only signed a new long-term contract with Juve in February but their failure to secure Champions League football could make them consider a sale to balance the books.

Bradley Barcola is a supremely talented footballer but he’s not first-choice at PSG. Luis Enrique has the best left-winger in the world at his disposal in Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Barcola is reduced to a substitute role in the big games. The 23-year-old has been linked with a move to the Premier League with Liverpool and Arsenal. The French international would be a major upgrade on Martinelli and Trossard, if he can be convinced to leave PSG. Barcola possesses searing pace and his final product is an improvement on Martinelli, despite being a weakness in his game.

Rafael Leão could represent a good market opportunity this summer. The Portuguese international’s career has stagnated in recent years at AC Milan and he’s yet to fully maximise his unquestionably potential. Leao has confirmed that he will depart AC Milan this summer to put several European clubs on high alert and Arsenal’s interest has been rumoured. Few left-wingers possess his physical characteristics as he combines speed with power.

Mika Godts is the jewel in Ajax’s crown after enjoying his breakthrough season to win the Transfermarkt player of the year for the Eredivise. The left-winger registered 32 goal contributions in 44 games to earn interest from a host of major European clubs. While the priority for Arsenal is to sign a more established star, who will immediately improve their starting eleven, Godts represents the future. If he can continue his development then the Belgian international could become a world-class winger and Arsenal could secure him for a relatively modest fee this summer.

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