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How Arsenal could line up after £180m summer revamp

Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Arsenal could line up should they complete a reported £180m revamp in the summer.

Arsenal are reportedly preparing to fork out a mammoth £180m on three big names during the summer transfer window.

The Gunners lost out on the signature of Dusan Vlahovic to Juventus and also failed to land Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Alexander Isak in January, but Mikel Arteta has supposedly earmarked the two strikers as primary targets for the 2022-23 season at a combined price of £135m.

Furthermore, with Granit Xhaka's future still shrouded in uncertainty and continued questions over their midfield stability, a £45m swoop for Wolverhampton Wanderers' Ruben Neves is also rumoured to be in the pipeline.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Arsenal could line up should they manage to convince all three players to move to the Emirates Stadium.


ARS XI w/£180M REVAMP

Gone are the days of the Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang partnership, but the two friends very rarely started as out-and-out strikers together, unless Arteta opted to deploy a three-at-the-back system.

Such a formation may have to be utilised to get the best out of target men Isak and Calvert-Lewin if they both establish themselves as regular starters, with a 3-4-1-2 formation seeing Martin Odegaard or Emile Smith Rowe feeding the two strikers.

Bukayo Saka may therefore be forced to revert to his wing-back duties - although his qualities in that role are not up for debate - as Kieran Tierney continues to bomb up and down the left flank.

With Xhaka still thought to be a target for Roma, Mohamed Elneny expected to leave and Albert Sambi Lokonga far from the finished product, Neves would undoubtedly come in to partner Thomas Partey in the engine room.

William Saliba's expected return from Marseille means that Arteta will not be too short of centre-backs for this potential three-man defence, especially with Takehiro Tomiyasu more than capable of playing on the right-hand side of a back three.

Saliba will struggle to force his way into the XI on a regular basis over Ben White or Gabriel Magalhaes, but a formation change could at least present the 20-year-old with more opportunities to make a name for himself at the Emirates.

Furthermore, this system presents Arteta with some clear tactical tweaks should Smith Rowe continue his role as a super sub on the left-hand side, with Tierney shifting back to form a four-man defence and Arsenal reverting to a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 depending on who is hooked.


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Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin, August 21, 2021
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs33186967521560
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


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