There will be a hell of a lot of transfer rumours from now until the summer transfer window closes at the start of September.
Every Arsenal fan would’ve written down their own wishlist and urge Arsene Wenger to sign them in order to sustain a title challenge next season. But one thing every Arsenal fan will agree on is that the squad need strengthen, particularly upfront. Also, a right-back and a traditional winger wouldn’t go amiss. And this particular piece will focus on the latter of the three positions – the winger.
There has been a lot of talk of Alexis Sanchez possibly joining Arsenal this summer as he hasn’t hit the heights as he did for Udinese at Barcelona. While he would be a great signing, I don’t see this deal happening. But there is another option that Wenger should consider before he splashes the cash on the tricky Chilean, and the man I’m talking about plays for Bayern Munich and bagged a hat-trick in Brazil against Honduras for Switzerland, the man I’m waffling on about is Xherdan Shaqiri.
The 22-year-old was once on Wenger’s radar before he joined Bayern two years ago and now seems the best time to try and land him.
Known for his superb skill, crossing ability and powerful runs, Shaqiri would represent a wonderful signing for Arsenal by Wenger. He would suit our style of play perfectly and would offer us natural width down the left flank, something we have lacked in recent seasons.
Since his move to Bayern in 2012, Shaqiri has struggled to cement a first-team spot under Pep Guardiola and will more than likely play second fiddle to both Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery next season. If this proves to be the case then Wenger should get on the phone to Pep and ask him about the availability of the Switzerland international.
Shaqiri only managed to start 10 Bundesliga matches last season and it doesn’t appear, despite his impressive World Cup appearances for the Swiss, things will change for him at the Allianz next term.
Valued at around £17.5 million and with only two years left to run on his current deal at Bayern, Shaqiri could be up for grabs this summer. Not necessarily up for sale, but Pep may allow the 5’6’’ maestro to leave on a temporary basis.
Wenger may not get his man on a permanent contract, but the Frenchman could get it on a temporary one. We could easily afford his wages and he would almost certainly be a regular for us on the left flank. Not only would the potential loan signing of Shaqiri benefit us for the year, but Bayern would also see the profit in this deal in the following year – coming back a better player.
