Since the infamous Alexis Sanchez – Henrikh Mkhitaryan swap deal between Arsenal and Manchester United, Gunners fans have been sceptical about high-profile player exchanges.
That, however, could change this summer as cash-strapped Arsenal will have to be really smart in the upcoming transfer window.
The Gunners have been linked with plenty of players already, some more often than others. We take a look at three of our top targets who Edu can sign this summer by offering one of our current players in exchange.
Three swap deals Arsenal can pull off this summer
Eddie Nketiah – Yves Bissouma
Brighton journalist Aden-Jay Wood revealed earlier this week that the young Arsenal striker is a summer target for the Seagulls. He also claimed that Nketiah could become a part of the deal which would see Bissouma head to Arsenal.
That would be a sensational deal for us. Nketiah is out of favour under Arteta, but he is still worth a fair bit of money. Offering him plus a bit of cash could well convince Brighton to let go of Bissouma, who is perfect for Arsenal.
The Mali international is reportedly valued at about £40 million by Brighton. (The Athletic) A swap deal that would include Nketiah could slash that fee by half, which would be absolutely amazing for us.
William Saliba – Edmond Tapsoba
German outlet Kicker revealed this week that a Tapsoba – Saliba swap is indeed a serious possibility.
This will annoy a number of Arsenal supporters, but if Mikel Arteta doesn’t really fancy Saliba, there’s not a lot we can do. The best thing will be to use the Frenchman in a deal to sign a much better defender, and Tapsoba is the man.
The Bayer Leverkusen man, 22, is one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga already. He checks all the boxes that Arteta is looking for, and offering Saliba in a swap deal will help bring down his mammoth £70 million price tag.
Reiss Nelson – Emiliano Buendia
This one is a bit of a stretch, but there’s no reason why it can’t work.
Arsenal’s interest in Buendia is no secret at this point, and Football London revealed this week that the Gunners are willing to sell Nelson if an offer between £15 million and £20 million comes in this summer.
The young Englishman is a winger whose potential is massive. Norwich will need a replacement at right-wing if Buendia ends up leaving, and if Edu can be really smart in negotiations, a swap deal could well work.
However, this is far less likely than the above two, especially as Norwich would most likely prefer full-cash for Buendia instead of half of the money plus an unproven Premier League player.
In other news, Arsenal can now sign ‘ridiculously strong’ £70m star in a shock swap deal
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