This summer is all about building a dynasty at Arsenal. It’s about finding the talent needed to win the league title for the first time in several years.
Of course, this is easier said than done. Not many teams have ever done that back-to-back. It’s hard to win even once. The Gunners have finally returned to the Premier League after 22 years.
It remains to be seen who will help them. The main targets of the attack are thought to be PSG’s Bradley Barcola and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rodgers.
Whoever it is, it is clear that Mikel Arteta needs to sign a winger or two.
Why Arsenal need to sign a new winger this summer
If you’re brave enough, find a hole in the team that won the title. Arsenal had one of the best defenses in world football last season, scoring just 27 goals in the league. David Raya has kept an astonishing 19 clean sheets in 37 Premier League appearances.
However, the future Gunners lacked the cutting-edge technology of Arteta’s early days at the Emirates Stadium.
Indeed, Bukayo Saka has endured fitness issues, but that only highlights the lack of quality elsewhere in the side. Noni Madueke helped ensure that Saka was not overplayed, but struggled mightily to maintain consistency.
In fact, the 24-year-old, who arrived in a surprise deal from Chelsea, has only scored three goals in 26 league games. Elsewhere it didn’t improve much.
Gabriel Martinelli has scored 11 goals in all competitions, but only one of those goals came in the Premier League. As for Leandro Trossard, he had a better season than the other players up front, but he still lacked consistency.
The Belgian scored that precious goal in the away game against West Ham, which is the only goal he has scored at club level throughout 2026 to date.
With that in mind, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the former Brighton man looking to leave. Besiktas agreed a £17m fee to bring him to Turkey, but now all that remains is for him to work out his personal terms.
Trossard’s departure will only accelerate the need for a new winger. Fortunately, it may be arriving soon.
The versatile winger wants to secure a move to Arsenal
Arsenal have made signing a new winger a top priority and given the points gained, it is the right move.
Barcola and Rodgers are the main targets, but judging from the reported asking prices, it would be incredibly difficult to get these deals done. The former’s contract is set to be worth more than £116m, but Aston Villa slapped a hefty £130m price tag on Rodgers’ shoulders.
As a result, Arsenal could very well look for cheaper alternatives. Bruno Guimarães has revealed he wants to move to Arsenal after the World Cup, while Greek winger Christos Tzoris is another player pushing for a move to the Emirates.
Greek journalist Dimitros Manakos reported that Tzoris has already spoken directly to Arsenal officials and expressed his desire to secure a move to the Emirates. The Gunners are yet to submit a formal bid but are exploring a move. It was previously reported that it could cost a fee of £34m to lure him away from Club Brugge.
So why such a shrewd sign? Well, it’s probably not the big addition that fans were hoping for this summer, but if it’s Tzoris and either Rodgers or Barcola, there’s no harm in making this move happen.
Impact of Tzoris joining Arsenal | |
|---|---|
Strengths | Goal scoring, creativity and ball progression |
Weakness | Duel victory |
the biggest winner | Gokeres, Havertz (chance making) |
the biggest loser | Martinelli and Eze (further competition) |
As it turns out, he’s actually the more prolific of the two. Last season, the Greek international had an impressive performance for Brugge, scoring 22 goals and providing 29 assists in 52 games. You’re unlikely to find a better winger in all of Europe, even if the Belgian Pro League is below Europe’s top five leagues. Last season, Barcola scored 13 points and Rodgers scored 14.
For those wondering what else Tzoris can bring to the table, he’s like a mini-Barcola. He is a creative and goal-scoring threat on the left with good ball-carrying skills.
When compared to players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the 23-year-old ranks in the top 18% of players in progressive carries per 90 minutes with 3.61. To put this into context, Barcola averaged 3.70 points per game in Ligue 1 last season.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball moves toward the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from the starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Both players are incredibly talented in tight spaces, with a former Football League club analyst noting that Tzoris is able to “destroy low blocks with his technical actions in tight spaces and beat opponents with his speed and power in open spaces in transition.” It definitely looks like Balcora.
We saw how dangerous the Frenchman was during the World Cup. He scored two great goals for his country. Arsenal would definitely want to take him to north London, but Tzoris wouldn’t be a bad back-up.
