5 left-wing solutions for Arsenal following Vinicius renewal
Arsenal’s search for another difference-maker in attack looks increasingly complicated as the new season approaches.
Vinicius Junior was always the dream. Arsenal’s interest in the Brazilian showed the level of player they were prepared to pursue, but with that door now seemingly closed, attention has had to turn elsewhere.
Morgan Rogers was another player admired by the Gunners and capable of operating from the left, but that route has also become difficult. Meanwhile, Juventus star Kenan Yildiz looks increasingly out of reach.
Arsenal already have Gabriel Martinelli and new signing Christos Tzolis available on the left, while Noni Madueke can operate on either flank. But if Mikel Arteta wants to genuinely transform his attack rather than simply add depth, there are still some intriguing options.
Here are five Arsenal could consider.
1. Iliman Ndiaye
Iliman Ndiaye might not be the superstar signing some supporters envisaged when Arsenal were being linked with Vinicius, but he could be one of the more attainable Premier League options.
The Everton forward is technically excellent, carries the ball extremely well and offers the unpredictability Arsenal sometimes lack in one-v-one situations. He can operate from the left, right, centrally or behind a striker, giving Arteta another versatile attacking piece.
The obvious question is whether Ndiaye represents enough of an upgrade on Martinelli to justify the investment. Arsenal are not simply looking for another competent winger; ideally, they need someone capable of changing the ceiling of their attack.
But if the elite market remains closed, Ndiaye’s Premier League experience and ability to create something individually could make him worth exploring.
2. Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez would be the most ambitious option on this list, and perhaps the most interesting.
Alvarez is not a conventional left winger, but Arsenal would not necessarily need him to be one. He currently operates as the left-sided striker in a front two and has previously shown he is comfortable drifting into wider areas before attacking the box.
That could allow Arteta to rethink the structure of his forward line entirely.
Rather than signing a touchline winger, Arsenal could use Alvarez as a left-sided forward who moves inside and effectively becomes a second striker. With Kai Havertz or Viktor Gyökeres occupying defenders centrally, Alvarez could attack the channels and penalty area from the left.
Eze could also play an important role in making that system work, providing creativity and occupying wider or deeper spaces while Alvarez moves towards goal.
The financial package would be enormous and convincing Atletico Madrid to sell would be another challenge. But if Arsenal still have significant money available after missing out on Vinicius, Alvarez is one of the few attainable players who could genuinely transform the level of their attack.
3. Bradley Barcola
If Arsenal want a more natural winger, Bradley Barcola remains one of the standout possibilities.
Liverpool have been strongly linked with the French international and the cost would be considerable, but recent suggestions that their pursuit may not progress could potentially reopen the market.
If Barcola becomes attainable, Arsenal should at least be involved in the conversation.
He has the pace and directness to stretch a defence, but also the technical quality and end product required at the highest level. At his best, he would provide exactly the sort of threat Arsenal hoped to acquire through their pursuit of Vinicius: a left-sided attacker capable of destabilising a defence individually.
The problem is price. Arsenal would probably have to commit a huge percentage of their remaining budget and potentially compete directly with Liverpool to get a deal done.
But elite wide forwards rarely become available cheaply.
4. Antonio Nusa
The wildcard option is Antonio Nusa.
The Norwegian has been regarded as one of Europe’s most exciting young wide players for several years, possessing explosive acceleration, excellent close control and the confidence to attack defenders repeatedly.
There is significant upside if Arsenal believe they can turn that raw ability into consistent elite-level production.
Nusa would also represent a different type of investment. Rather than spending superstar money on a finished product, Arsenal would be buying a player who could develop into one.
There would be risk attached. His historic injury concerns would need to be carefully assessed and he has not yet demonstrated the consistency of some of the more established names Arsenal have targeted.
But that could also make him a more realistic opportunity. If Arteta and Arsenal’s recruitment team believe the underlying talent can be fully realised, Nusa could be the sort of signing that looks considerably better value two or three years down the line. Though Leipzig just sold Diomande for over £100million to Real Madrid – so won’t be in a rush to sell, or need the money.
5. Eberechi Eze
Perhaps Arsenal do not actually need to buy another left winger.
Eberechi Eze already gives Arteta an alternative way of constructing his attack. Rather than using a traditional winger who hugs the touchline, Arsenal could deploy Eze from the left and allow him to drift into central areas, effectively becoming another attacking midfielder when the Gunners have possession.
That could create an interesting dynamic with an overlapping full-back providing the width, while Eze moves closer to Martin Ødegaard and the striker.
It would also allow Arsenal to spend their remaining transfer budget elsewhere. Instead of paying another significant fee for a winger, the club could repurpose an existing elite attacking talent and use the money to pursue another forward or strengthen the defence.
Eze would offer something very different to Martinelli and Tzolis — and that might be exactly the point.
Arsenal’s difficulty is that there is no obvious replacement for Vinicius Junior in the market. Players of that quality simply do not become available very often.
The solution therefore might require a little more imagination.
Ndiaye would provide Premier League-proven versatility. Barcola would be the closest fit to a high-level traditional left winger. Nusa would be a bet on enormous potential. Alvarez would represent the boldest external solution of all but not a natural position fit: forget about replacing Vinicius with another winger and instead reshape the attack around another world-class goalscorer.
And then there is Eze.
With Martinelli and Tzolis already in the squad, Arsenal do not necessarily need another body on the left. If the right elite-level opportunity does not emerge, Arteta could instead alter the balance of his existing attack and give Eze a much bigger role from that side.
What Arsenal need is not simply another left winger. They need someone – or a tactical solution – capable of taking the attack to another level.
That distinction should shape whatever they decide to do next.