His future
secured by a new three-year contract worth £8m a season and his
transfer coffers boosted by £100m, Arsene Wenger will now begin the
process of building another successful Arsenal side.
The
Frenchman, who will complete two decades in charge of the north London
club if he sees out his new contract, has already drawn up a shortlist
of summer targets.
Wenger
sees this month’s FA Cup triumph as only the beginning and the club’s
hierarchy have backed him to build another all-conquering Arsenal side.
He
will prioritise three key areas to strengthen - right-back, central
midfield and up front - and here’s our lowdown on the potential
recruits.
Ready to splash the cash? Arsene Wenger has plenty of money to play with at Arsenal this summer
Calum Chambers (Southampton)
With
31-year-old Bacary Sagna yet to commit to a new contract and strong
interest in him from Manchester City, Paris St Germain and Galatasaray,
Wenger will likely need a new right-back.
Chambers
has enjoyed a breakthrough season for Southampton, making 22
appearances in the Barclays Premier League and impressing many with his
boldness going forward.
The
19-year-old is currently England captain at that age group and is
expected to make the transition into Roy Hodgson’s senior squad just as
his Southampton clubmate Luke Shaw has done.
He
is certainly one for the future and would suit Arsenal with his strong
attributes both in attack and defence. He delivered 87 crosses in
Premier League matches last season and his tackle success rate was a
very good 84 per cent.
Probability: 5/10
Atsuto Uchida (Schalke)
Japanese
international Uchida would also fit the bill for a forward-thinking
right-sided player and has just one year remaining on his contract,
which may persuade the Bundesliga club to sell.
After
moving from J-League side Kashima Antlers, Uchida has established
himself as one of the best in his position in the German top flight and
was voted by fans in the Team of the Season.
With
127 appearances for Schalke and 67 caps for Japan under his belt,
Uchida obviously represents a more experienced alternative to Chambers
but he does have a tendency to get caught out of position too far
forward.
Probability: 6.5/10
Hot prospect: Full back Calum Chambers is yet another youngster pulling up trees at Southampton
A bright future: 21-year-old defender Serge Aurier has kicked on since moving to Toulouse in Ligue 1
Key man: Atsuto Uchida will play for Japan at the World Cup in Brazil when it kicks off in a fortnight
Serge Aurier (Toulouse)
Ivorian
Aurier would not take much persuading to make the move to north London.
The 21-year-old is a lifelong Arsenal fan, has posted pictures on
social media in an Arsenal shirt and has gone on record to say he ‘could
not refuse’ if Wenger came calling.
After coming through the ranks at Lens, Aurier moved to Toulouse in 2012 and has continued his impressive development.
Like
the other two, he is not shy in bombing forward down the wing and
delivering crosses. Aurier scored six goals and contributed seven
assists in Ligue 1 last season and earned himself a place in the
provisional Ivory Coast squad for the World Cup.
Probability: 6.5/10
Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen)
Wenger
tried to sign Bender last summer but instead ended up with Mathieu
Flamini for a second spell, offering a bit of substance in the midfield.
But
despite Germany international Bender saying earlier this year that he
is not ready to make the step up to the Premier League, Wenger may test
Leverkusen’s resolve with a bid in the region of £20m.
That
value is unlikely to increase this summer after Bender was ruled out of
the World Cup with a thigh injury sustained during the squad’s training
camp in the Tyrol.
From
his deep-lying position in midfield, Bender would bring a tireless
workrate and plenty of tenacity to shield the back four.
Probability: 7/10
Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton)
There
was some intense competition, but Schneiderlin scooped both the
Player’s Player of the Year and the Fans’ Player of the Year accolades
at Southampton following an excellent campaign.
He
topped the Premier League rankings for interceptions (139) and tackles
(146), scored a couple of Premier League goals and had a pass completion
record of 84 per cent.
That’s a strong hand and it’s little wonder Wenger is interested in the Frenchman, who would come far cheaper than Bender.
Probability: 6/10
Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona)
There
will be no shortage of suitors should Barcelona decide to offload
Fabregas this summer and Wenger will hope that the emotional pull of a
return to Arsenal will give them the advantage.
Arsenal
fans who witnessed his brilliance prior to his departure back to
Catalonia in 2011 don’t need to be told that Fabregas brings style,
creativity, intelligence and a fine passing range.
He
scored eight times and set up 19 other goals in La Liga alone last
season and Wenger knows he won’t come cheap - somewhere between £35m and
£40m will be required - or easily, with expected interest from
Manchester United and others.
But it would be an immensely popular move to see the former captain return to the Emirates.
Probability: 6/10
Ball player: Morgan Schneiderlin (right, next to Patrice Evra) is with France after ticking over Saints' midfield
Coming back home? Spain's Cesc Fabregas
On the up: Germany's Lars Bender
Known each other a while: Fabregas, pictured with Arsene Wenger in 2003, has previous with the Gunners
Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid)
Arsenal
chiefs have already made enquiries with Real Madrid over 21-year-old
Morata, well aware that Juventus and other leading clubs have expressed a
keen interest in one of Europe’s hottest properties.
Morata
made 23 league appearances last season but the majority were in fits
and starts from the bench and if Karim Benzema decides to sign a new
contract, he may be tempted to seek more regular action elsewhere.
Arsenal
scored 68 goals in the Premier League last season, significantly less
than the 102 of champions Manchester City and the 101 of runners-up
Liverpool. It is imperative they bring in an effective striker if they
are to challenge for the title once again.
The
main stumbling block in any deal would be Real’s insistence that they
can buy Morata back within two years if he proves himself at another
club.
Probability: 7/10
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
The
aforementioned Benzema, Real’s first choice striker who scored 24 goals
and created a further 16 in all competitions last season, would be a
more reliable, if expensive, choice.
Arsenal
also enquired about his availability after the Champions League final,
knowing that Benzema has yet to commit to a contract extension with just
one season left to run.
Wenger has a long-standing interest in his compatriot and Arsenal have been linked with him for three consecutive summers now.
The
signing of Benzema would represent a real coup for Wenger, the perfect
start to his plans to construct another great Arsenal team. The striker
would certainly guarantee 20-25 goals a season if he continues his
current progress.
Probability: 4/10
+12
Time's running out: Croatian Mario Mandzukic is likely to leave German champions Bayern Munich this summer
Take your pick! Real Madrid striking pair Karim Benzema (left) and Alvaro Morata are both on Arsenal's radar
Mario Mandzukic (Bayern Munich)
With
Robert Lewandowski arriving from Borussia Dortmund, at least one of
Bayern’s uber-prolific front line will have to be sacrificed and the
feeding frenzy looks likeliest to surround Mandzukic.
Manchester
United and Chelsea are among the big clubs interested, meaning Arsenal
would face stiff competition for a striker who scored 26 goals last
season despite rarely completing a full 90 minutes.
Despite
the impressive goal haul, Mandzukic was absent from the club’s
end-of-season celebrations, the final sign that his time at the Allianz
Arena has expired.
The
arrival of Lewandowski, announced last summer, combined with a
deterioration of the Croat’s relationship with Pep Guardiola, have meant
his departure has become inevitable.
He is a proven goalscorer and a proven winner, and Wenger will face a real fight to sign him.
Probability: 6/10
Loic Remy (Queens Park Rangers)
Despite
leading his team straight back into the Premier League, QPR boss Harry
Redknapp is resigned to losing French striker Remy, who spent last
season on loan at Newcastle United.
His
14 Premier League goals in 26 games were a rare highlight in
Newcastle’s season but had the consequence of attracting the attention
of a number of bigger clubs.
With
QPR needing to balance the books, a move across London to the Emirates
could happen for a reasonable price of perhaps £10m or less.
Probability: 6.5/10
Different option? Frenchman Loic Remy was superb up front for Newcastle United last season
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are not at the same level as Luis Suarez, according to loyal Uruguay team-mate Cristian Rodriguez.
