That's the stark verdict of former Chelsea and Liverpool star Joe Cole, with the new top-flight season just over a week away. The Gunners are on the verge of adding £72m winger Nicolas Pepe to their already impressive forward line. Boss Unai Emery has also secured Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid and young striker Gabrielle Martinelli. But Arsenal's one defensive signing, William Saliba, will not be able to help the cause as has been loaned back to Saint-Etienne for the next 12 months. The much-maligned Shkodran Mustafi is still at the club, while Gunners captain Laurent Koscielny wants out. And Cole cannot understand why Emery has not prioritised strengthening his defence rather than adding more attackers. “It’s not like this is something new," he told talkSPORT. "I guarantee you whoever has sat in this chair [at talkSPORT] for the last 10 years talking about Arsenal would have said the same thing. “I don’t understand why they aren’t in the running for someone like Brighton defender Lewis Dunk. “If they do fall out of the top six it will be because of the policies that are in place at the club. “They’ve been crying out for 10, maybe 15 years, to strengthen defensively and bring the right characters in. “If they don’t do that they’ll keep conceding goals from set-pieces and conceding too many goals in general.” With Harry Maguire looking likely to join Manchester United soon, Leicester may be in the market for a replacement before long. And Lewis Dunk has been named as a possible replacement for the Old Trafford-bound centre-back. Dunk is valued by Brighton at £45m, a price tag which may be too steep for Arsenal. It was reported that they had that transfer war chest of exact amount this summer, yet Emery will have spent double that if Pepe signs.
Arsenal warned that they could fall out of Prem top six if they don't sign Brighton star
That's the stark verdict of former Chelsea and Liverpool star Joe Cole, with the new top-flight season just over a week away. The Gunners are on the verge of adding £72m winger Nicolas Pepe to their already impressive forward line. Boss Unai Emery has also secured Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid and young striker Gabrielle Martinelli. But Arsenal's one defensive signing, William Saliba, will not be able to help the cause as has been loaned back to Saint-Etienne for the next 12 months. The much-maligned Shkodran Mustafi is still at the club, while Gunners captain Laurent Koscielny wants out. And Cole cannot understand why Emery has not prioritised strengthening his defence rather than adding more attackers. “It’s not like this is something new," he told talkSPORT. "I guarantee you whoever has sat in this chair [at talkSPORT] for the last 10 years talking about Arsenal would have said the same thing. “I don’t understand why they aren’t in the running for someone like Brighton defender Lewis Dunk. “If they do fall out of the top six it will be because of the policies that are in place at the club. “They’ve been crying out for 10, maybe 15 years, to strengthen defensively and bring the right characters in. “If they don’t do that they’ll keep conceding goals from set-pieces and conceding too many goals in general.” With Harry Maguire looking likely to join Manchester United soon, Leicester may be in the market for a replacement before long. And Lewis Dunk has been named as a possible replacement for the Old Trafford-bound centre-back. Dunk is valued by Brighton at £45m, a price tag which may be too steep for Arsenal. It was reported that they had that transfer war chest of exact amount this summer, yet Emery will have spent double that if Pepe signs.
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