Former Premier League star Danny Murphy has named two factors that could make Arsenal a surprise package for next season.
No European football and some decent transfer business could cause Arsenal to ‘surprise a few people’, says Danny Murphy.
An eighth-place finish in the Premier League last season cost Arsenal qualification in Europe, leaving the club with no Champions League or Europa League football for the first time in 25 years.
Money-wise it’s not the most welcome bit of news, but it does have its advantages. For one, Mikel Arteta’s side can fully focus on their domestic campaign and will be more rested for Premier League games.
And, as Murphy pointed out, the Gunners haven’t exactly shied away from the transfer market either. They’ve already signed Benfica left-back Nuno Tavares and Anderlecht midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, while Ben White could soon join in a £50 million deal from Brighton.
🔴 Ben White
🔴 Aaron Ramsdale
🔴 Sam Johnstone
🔴 Ruben Neves
🔴 Albert Sambi Lokonga@David_Ornstein says the Arsenal squad could look a lot different come the end of the transfer window pic.twitter.com/Y6tvE5svZV— Football Daily (@footballdaily) July 16, 2021
“I’ve got a feeling and I don’t know where it’s come from,’ Murphy told talkSPORT.
“I think with no European football and it looks like they’re having a go in the market, I think Arsenal might surprise a few.
“Although they’ve got a tough start, I think some of their young players – Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, for example, are tremendous
“If [Thomas] Partey stays fit, we’ve seen glimpses of his ability. It could rest on [Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang], he’s only had the one bad season.”
The former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder added: “I think Arsenal might just surprise a few people but we’ve been wrong before about them.”
Arsenal kick off their Premier League campaign on August 13 away to the newly promoted Brentford.
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