5 players Arsenal should sign this summer

1. Adrien Rabiot

There are reasons Rabiot has been linked with Arsenal in just about every transfer window over the past few years. The obvious, cynical take is that newspapers and tabloids can create an easy story essentially out of thin air. There may, at one time, have been interest from Arsenal and PSG, but there’s only a few people who know if the two are still keen on the idea.

The other, more rational reason is that Arsenal desperately need a deep-lying midfielder that can hold his own defensively. They bought Granit Xhaka a few seasons ago hoping that he could be that player, but while he’s shown flashes of that prototype, hasn’t been consistent enough to justify his automatic inclusion.

Rabiot is the player Arsenal supporters have been clamoring for. While he’s not the stonewall defensive-minded midfielder that some want, he more than holds his own on that end. What makes him a better fit is his versatility, close control and passing ability from a deeper midfield position.

Rabiot would also likely make the Arsenal board dig deep in their pockets, but he’s worth it. He can pair with Xhaka and take some of his defensive responsibility away to free him up for a more roaming role, or allow Aaron Ramsey freedom to make his patented late runs into the box without allowing a devastating counter-attack on the other end.

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His passing ability also allows him to play a more attacking role in front of a defensive midfielder. His inclusion into this Arsenal midfield would give Emery, who obviously knows Rabiot well from his time at PSG, the ability to play multiple formations while not fitting square pegs in round holes.