Arsenal have had a busy start to the window, with the expected arrivals of Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber on top of Kai Havertz taking their early spending over £200m.
The Gunners are also close to finalising new contracts for William Saliba and Reiss Nelson, having already tied down Aaron Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka, and there is nothing but positivity around the club.
Recent reports have suggested that Arsenal’s next focus will be on sales, but that more signings could still arrive, and Dean Jones has suggested that a wide forward may be targeted.
Arsenal fans will always be excited at the idea of more new signings this summer, but given the options Mikel Arteta has available to him now, targeting another wide attacker may feel like an unnecessary move at this stage.
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Saka and Gabriel Martinelli started the vast majority of league games last season as the wide options in Arsenal’s attack, and both young stars had outstanding seasons in front of goal.
January arrival Leandro Trossard also made a big impact, notching up 10 assists, starting on both wings as well as a false nine, and there is now strong depth across the entire attacking line.
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Including the options at centre-forward, Arsenal now have eight players who can play in either of the two wide positions: Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, Martinelli, Saka, Nelson, Trossard, Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira.
Nelson’s new long-term contract may not have been signed without some assurances over his game time, whilst Smith Rowe is expected to play a much bigger role, having been injured for most of last season.
Given that Saka and Martinelli will continue to be the main starters, with Trossard and Nelson the primary understudies, there is no obvious place in the squad for a new winger, and any arrival would further limit the potential minutes Hale End graduates Smith Rowe and Nelson could gain.
Both players are two outstanding young talents, who could both thrive with more game time, and stifling their chances of success to bring in another option, who will likely not be a significant upgrade on either, seems an unnecessary move in what has already been a window of big-spending.
If a winger does arrive, it is hard to imagine Saka or Martinelli dropping out of the first XI, and it would raise doubts over the long-term future of the likes of Trossard, Nelson or Smith Rowe.