Goal.com Summer Shopping: Who Should Arsenal Buy?

One of Arsenal's major flaws in the last summer window was their inability to suitably replace three defensive midfielders: Lassana Diarra; Gilberto; and Mathieu Flamini. That position must now be considered for mandatory bolstering. Arsene Wenger's men conceded an unimpressive 37 goals in the Premier League alone, which was 13 more than champions Manchester United. A defensive addition would also therefore be welcome.

With the winter window recruit of Russian playmaking forward Andrey Arshavin, who was relentlessly productive during the latter stages of the season, the Gunners' attacking armoury from midfield appears potent, especially with Theo Walcott's continuous improvement, Samir Nasri's second season on the horizon, and Carlos Vela and Jack Wilshere waiting in the wings and raring to go.

If reports were to be believed last year, then Arsenal could have received £30 million for Emmanuel Adebayor, who had just come off the back of a 30-goal season. Such an offer is unlikely to be tabled this summer, but the north London outfit may find a deal tempting, as Wenger's rumoured £11m transfer budget alone would be insufficient to acquire the calibre of players that would propel the Emirates outfit back into domestic competitiveness.

IN (5):

Matthew Upson (West Ham United): There seems to be a growing consensus that Arsene Wenger is loathe to admitting he has made a mistake, so Hammers defender Upson will therefore be an unlikely target. Upson, though, may not have turned into the player he was today had he stayed in north London to be subject to restricted playing time. Arsenal need a dependable defensive recruit to play now, and not one who will blossom in the coming years such as Mamadou Sakho and Micah Richards, both of whom have been press-linked with an Emirates switch. The 30-year-old has been a mainstay in the Hammers' rearguard, is a defensive organiser, good on the ball, strong in the air and a good tackler.

Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon): Arsenal desperately require a partner for captain Francesc Fabregas and a player close to his peak such as Toulalan could fit the bill. He is strong in the tackle, has an exceptionally wise positional sense and the work-rate he boasts could go some way to his ability to fill the shoes of the departed 'running-man' Flamini. There is also the possibility that his adaptability to life in a new league would be aided by a dressing-room where the primary language spoken is French. Olympique Lyonnais have already conceded that they would consider large bids for Toulalan this summer, so Wenger would do well to make this midfielder his number one priority, even if it meant selling Emmanuel Adebayor, a player perceived to be high-profile, but one whose poor attitude is in danger of poisoning the rest of the squad.

Nene (Nacional): Should Adebayor leave Ashburton Grove, then the attacking regions would require attention. Like Wolfsburg star Edin Dzeko, Nacional Funchal's Nene seemingly appeared out of nowhere toward the second half of the season to fire his side up the league ladder with a plethora of goals. Nene has a strong left foot, can act as a target man, has an unorthodox Brazilian style, and could follow the path of prolific Italian Filippo Inzaghi should he continue at the rate of development witnessed last season.

Martin Angha (FC Zurich): This teenage starlet is expected to start a scholarship with the Gunners on his 16th birthday and will be granted an Arsenal education.

Jamie Edge (Cheltenham Town): According to reports last month, Arsenal have already swooped for promising midfielder Jamie Edge for a six-figure fee.

PROMOTED (3):

Jack Wilshere; Jay Emmanuel-Thomas; Francis Coquelin (All youth): Arsenal's academy continues to reel out promising players, and even though Wilshere witnessed first-team football last season, he was demoted back down to Steve Bould's side as his contributions were deemed to be ineffective. Wilshere has received pearls of wisdom from Theo Walcott throughout the season, and it is time for Jack to step-up again in the League Cup together with any league appearances flung his way. Joining him should be Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, an imposing midfielder who is as physically strong as he is elegant on the ball. Coquelin, too, is ready to be tested against greater opposition in a more competitive environment. The Frenchman was bought last summer and is an aggressive defensive midfielder.

OUT (5):

Emmanuel Adebayor: Arsenal may have missed the boat last summer if Milan were indeed willing to bid in excess of £30m last summer. They may be lucky to get £20m this window, but if that ball-park is reached, then those funds could go a long way in bringing in both Matthew Upson and Jeremy Toulalan. Adebayor has all too often looked languid on the pitch and disinterested in replicating his goal heroics from the 2007-08 season. This is in danger of seeping through to the rest of the squad as, during the final games of the season, Arsenal's midfield were guilty of sloppy play, they seemed unwilling to close the ball down when they weren't in possession and looked to have lost a little focus. There is no room for such apathy at the top level.

Amaury Bischoff: He flopped. But lucky for Wenger there was no transfer fee involved in his signature. His contract is up; let him go.

Abou Diaby: Far, far too inconsistent. Any bid should be considered.

Armand Traore: There have been printed rumours made this year that Mexican prodigy Carlos Vela could join Gianfranco Zola's West Ham United, who enjoy a one-touch passing game. If a bid for Matthew Upson falls flat, then the temptation of a player-plus-cash deal could be too much for the Irons. Traore is a versatile left-sider and could do a job for a mid-table side pushing for higher honours. Unfortunately, with Kieran Gibbs coming-of-age as an attack-minded full-back, there is little room for Traore at Arsenal.

Jay Simpson (loan): Simpson could benefit from another spell away from Arsenal.

Alan Dawson, Goal.com

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