On a Wing and a Prayer: The Gunners Quest for Wingers

Arsenal’s apparent quest for a winger seems to have been going on for quite some time now with no success. Is this the transfer window that finally brings a quality winger or preferably two?

Its worth noting here that Riess Nelson will return from a season long loan spell in the Bundesliga with Hoffenhiem but here are 10 possible wingers that the Gunners could set their sights on.

Hakim Ziyech – Ajax

Possible cost £25m (Release clause)

At 26, we may ask where has Ziyech been all this time but the same could have been said for Riyad Marhez before he signed for Leicester. Ziyech scored 16 goals and had 13 assists in 29 league games for Ajax last season but with 32 goals and 39 assists at Ajax since 2016 it appears Ziyech has been hiding in plain sight. Ajax have confirmed that the player will leave the club this summer.

David Neres – Ajax
Possible cost £40m

Neres' numbers were better in 2017 than they were this past season, 14 goals and 11 assists against the 8 of each he had last season although the pace and skill of the young Brazilian makes him a constant threat bringing comparisons to another former Ajax and Arsenal legend, Marc Overmars.

Leon Bailey – Bayer Leverkusen
Possible cost £75m

Bailey burst onto the scene in 2017 earning rave reviews for his pace and technical ability which also earned him a price tag of a reported £100m. The Jamaican has taken a step backwards since then and at one point struggled for playing time at Leverkusen. Bailey's form improved as the season went on and he finished the campaign with a league high 62% success rate in dribbles completed.

Malcolm – Barcelona
Possible cost £60m

Previously with Bordeaux where he scored 20 goals in 84 games, Malcolm was due to sign for Roma in 2018 before Barcelona jumped in at the last minute paying £36m for the Brazilian. However game time has been hard to come by, playing only 13 league games for the Catalan club who reportedly want to move the player on which may help keep the transfer fee down.

Ryan Sessegnon – Fulham
Possible cost £30m

The soon to be 19 year old who can operate at left back as well as a left winger only has one year left on his current contract and has attracted interest from Spurs and Manchester United among others. Although we have yet to hear of any interest from Arsenal even though it seems he would be a perfect left wing back.

Steven Bergwijn – PSV
Possible cost £35m

The 21 year old Dutch International was an Ajax product before moving to PSV at the age of 14. Rumours that Ajax want to buy the player back this summer have incensed Eindhoven although Bergwijn is also getting interest from Serie A and the Premier league. In 33 league appearances in 2018/19, the pacey little winger scored 14 goals and added 12 assists.

Wilfred Zaha – Crystal Palace
Possible cost £80m +

Currently 6/4 to join Arsenal by the end of the transfer window, although this is largely dependent on cost and possibly Champions League qualification. Rumours are already circulating that the Gunners have contacted Palace in regard to signing Zaha but it appears the two clubs are miles apart on valuation, something that all Arsenal fans have heard before.

Again if reports are to be believed then Arsenal could offer players such as Chambers and Nelson in exchange rather than stump up the extra cash. For the record Zaha scored 10 goals in 34 Premier league games adding 5 assists, 9 bookings and 1 red card!

Julian Brandt –  Bayer Leverkusen
Possible cost £22m (Release clause)

The 23 year old German international has been linked heavily with Liverpool in the past and it would appear that his time with Leverkusen is coming to a close as several clubs including Dortmund, who are favourites to land the player, have expressed their interest. Not known for his goalscoring but more for his assists, 17 in all competitions last season.

Christian Pavon – Boca Juniors
Possible cost £25m

Another player linked with Arsenal in the past, Pavon has somewhat gone off the boil of late, blaming his loss of form on an injury he picked up in the Copa Libertadores final at the end of 2018. Since then, Pavon has scored 4 goals in 19 games with just 3 assists, perhaps he needs a change of scenery?! Pavon can also play as a forward as well as being able to operate on both wings.

Hector Villabla – Atlanta United
Possible cost £15m

If Arsenal want or need to do some of their summer shopping on the cheap then Villabla could be an option. That said the Paraguayan international who was born in Argentina and had his change of nationality approved by FIFA is not yet the finished product. Currently playing in the MLS for the Champions and the same team that sold Almiron to Newcastle, Villabla mostly operates down the left but can also play on the right wing and also through the middle. He has scored 21 goals in 73 games for the Five Stripes of Atlanta.