Mikel Arteta Must Consider Signing 3 Former Arsenal Players This Summer

As the post-tournament news stands become populated with transfer speculation once more, it seems possible that Arsenal could stoke old flames as they look to recruit for the new 2024-25 Premier League season. These include experienced Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, AC Milan central midfielder, Ismael Bennacer, and Bayern Munich star winger Serge Gnabry.

Read on, as GIVEMESPORT charts the likeliness of each player’s links, and just what attributes they present to Mikel Arteta’s current side, with the help of news and rumours related to each in recent months.

Wojciech Szczesny

Current club: Juventus

Current Juventus shot-stopper Wojciech Szczesny played for Arsenal for eight years between 2009 and 2017, and amassed 181 appearances and 72 clean sheets across all competitions. The 34-year-old, now a veteran with both Juve and the Poland national team, still exudes quality in his play and could provide Arsenal an experienced head – especially in their core of goalkeepers that have often been at the centre of a form-based split decision that had Arteta scratching his head at times last season.

While not necessarily a starter for the Gunners in the 2024-25 term, Szczesny would give a little more stability and perhaps push on the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, who is rumoured with a move away, and David Raya to keep their highest levels.

Szczesny was linked with Arsenal as recently as May 2024, as The Standard reported the Pole could be brought back to the Emirates in a bid to replace Ramsdale and provide competition to Raya. Furthermore, with the Premier League’s squad regulations, Szczesny would comply as he came through the academy.

Juventus want to sell a goalkeeper this summer as they work on a deal to sign Michele Di Gregorio from Monza, raising the prospect of Szczesny being available. However, a deal for Szczesny looks difficult due to his reported £100,000-a-week wages after tax, and the fact he still has one year to run on his contract, as well as being settled in Turin.

Ismael Bennacer

Current club: AC Milan

French-born Algerian international Ismael Bennacer was with Arsenal for two years between 2015 and 2017. At just 18-years-old, he arrived from Arles, in France’s Ligue 2 after impressive displays among seniors and played predominantly within the Gunners’ youth setup on arrival.

In England, Bennacer never got to play a Premier League game, yet found limited minutes in the League Cup (one appearance) before going out on loan to Tours and then departing in 2017 for Empoli. This opportunity enabled the energetic and tough tackling midfielder to show his skill and Empoli strutted to the Serie B title in his first season in Italy. The subsequent term’s relegation saw Bennacer jump ship to Milan, clearly a cut above the second-tier standard within the Gli Azzurri’s ranks.

Bennacer has proven he is capable of playing in several midfield roles, especially within Milan’s Scudetto triumph of 2021-22. He has been used as a deep-lying playmaker in a holding role in midfield, as an attacking midfielder, or as a central offensive-minded midfielder. What he offers, is stamina, dexterity, and the glue between attack and defence. His main characteristics are his speed, vision, intelligence, composure, dribbling skills, passing, and technique. His transfer would present an excellent redemption arc, yet rumours have only gone as fair as interview mentions – for instance, in 2023 he tabled the idea of an Arsenal return with great enthusiasm, yet enough reality to stop the newspaper presses before they’d started:

Serge Gnabry

Current club: Bayern Munich

Rapid winger and deft finisher Serge Gnabry’s Arsenal career took him from the youth team in 2011, to the fringes of the starting XI in 2014. However, a career never really showed signs of materialising at the Emirates for the German, and he found more luck exhibiting his skills out on loan before landing a permanent move to Werder Bremen in 2016. In his case, on the surface, it looked as if Arsenal had missed a trick – as his breakout season with the River Islanders saw 11 goals in 27 games and a move to Bayern Munich.

Since then, Gnabry has developed into an excellent option for Mikel Arteta if he so chooses. With a consistent output before injury blighted his last two terms with Bayern, a move back to England could be useful for all parties. As long as Gnabry could stay fit, he could operate on either flanks, and allow Arteta to rotate the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli more often.

In terms of rumours and news, there doesn’t seem to be too much that is concrete. However, the hypotheticals, as well as Gnabry’s sublime showreel of big moments since leaving London, could be more than enough to persuade Arsenal higher-ups to think about a timely return.

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Accurate as of 16/07/24.