The Hard Tackle lists three players Arsenal should sign from relegated clubs, including James Maddison and Romeo Lavia.
The Premier League season concluded in dramatic fashion, with Manchester City beating Arsenal to the title, while Leicester City and Leeds United suffered relegation to the Championship. The two former top-flight clubs will have to undergo major changes to sustain themselves away from the top division and possibly sell a host of their current stars.
For what is their loss is an opportunity for many Premier League sides who have kept tabs on some of those players. James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Youri Tielemans are some of the names coming out of Leicester into this window.
Mikel Arteta’s 3 full seasons as Arsenal manager:
20/21 – 8th place, 61 points
21/22 – 5th place, 69 points
22/23 – 2nd place, 84 points
🚀 Decent trajectory pic.twitter.com/oq3WdYN190
— Rory Talks Football (@Rory_Talks_Ball) May 29, 2023
Leeds may lose some of their young professionals in Wilfried Gnonto and Tyler Adams. Finally, Southampton could also see an exodus of departures, including influential midfielder James Ward-Prowse and young rising star Romeo Lavia.
The latter is particularly interesting to many Premier League sides, along with Maddison. A host of clubs are vying for their signatures, with Arsenal also in the mix, going by media reports. Mikel Arteta has led his young squad to a second-place finish in the Premier League and intents to keep growing.
Arsenal already have plans to strengthen in the summer, with some big names linked with a move. As things stand, Declan Rice remains their priority for the summer, alongside Moises Caicedo. They might also dip into the market for an attacking midfielder and a right-sided defender, which may pique their interest in Maddison.
There is a general perception that relegation clubs can get persuaded to sell their stars cheaply. Could Arsenal look to take advantage of some of those stars in the upcoming window? Let’s determine which three players the Gunners could target from those relegated sides.
Timothy Castagne
The Belgian right-back has shown his versatility ever since joining Leicester. While he made a fiery start to life at the King Power Stadium, the defender has been a consistent presence for Brendan Rodgers’ men. His experience in the game and the ability to play multiple roles make him a viable option, even for Arsenal.
The Gunners are in the market for a new right-back to compete with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Castagne offers something different, with his style more of a traditional full-back. Whether Arsenal need a typical player in that position remains the question, but things could move if he becomes available n a cut-price deal.
The Gunners are linked with various names and remain interested in Ivan Fresneda. Mohamed Simakan and Sacha Boey are also targeted. But there are question marks over whether Arteta would want to spend heavily for that position.
Castagne is a good option, but ideally, Arsenal may not look at the Leicester star to solve their problem. Hence, Arteta might look away from any potential interest in the Belgian and sign someone younger who could fit into his plans.
James Maddison
Maddison is possibly the most coveted player on this list. He is not only on Arsenal’s radar but on the shortlist of many top clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City and, most importantly, Tottenham. The Gunners had long been interested in the playmaker, only to sign Martin Odegaard in that window two years ago.
🚨 'I'm sure': Arsenal want to sign James Maddison who Newcastle 'love', face a big fight – @FabrizioRomano
🗣️ “Maddison is 100 per cent leaving the club. Let me mention Newcastle because Newcastle love the player, Newcastle really appreciate him, they are in the race again and… pic.twitter.com/Q8kOs7YYvr
— afcsphere (@afcsphere) June 1, 2023
They might revive their interest if a financially viable deal becomes possible. Do Arsenal need a playmaker, given they have Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Viera? They might see Maddison as a potential market opportunity to make the dash.
In reality, he is not a priority for Arteta in the market. Considering they might not prioritise a move, they may lose to other rivals. The manager might see him as a potential replacement for Granit Xhaka, who could bring goals and assists to this side.
Finally, much will depend on his price tag. And if Leicester remain adamant on their earlier valuation of £60 million, Arsenal are unlikely to pay up. The only big factor Arsenal might offer over Tottenham could be their presence in the Champions League.
Romeo Lavia
The most important player on this list potentially. Lavia has excelled in this Southampton team, but their unfortunate relegation may come as an opportunity for the midfielder. The Belgian is high on the list of many clubs, including Liverpool, the Manchester clubs, and Chelsea.
As per earlier report on Romeo Lavia future.
Chelsea have made moves to bring him to Stamford Bridge. #CFC
Man City consider move despite 2024 buy-back clause. #MCFC
Arteta fan and would welcome him with Rice. #AFC
Liverpool have him on list but no official move made #LFC pic.twitter.com/t9sk8ydExd
— Fraser Fletcher (@FrazFletcher) May 30, 2023
The big problem for Lavia is the asking price and his relative lack of experience in the top flight. All the top clubs like Liverpool, Chelsea and others are indeed vying for the young midfielder’s signature. But they may not consider him at the top of their list.
Lavia is a high-quality backup option in the market, which may be the case for Arsenal. The Gunners want Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo as their midfield priorities, meaning Lavia will only be an alternative option.
Signing him will require proper timing for Arsenal if he is an alternative. That is the same situation for other clubs, meaning they could all come under pressure to bring the Belgian. He is a progressive side to grace any of those teams, including the Gunners. But is he a realistic target for Arteta?
