James Rodriguez, Riyad Mahrez, Jean-Michael Seri: Three players Arsenal could sign this summer

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  • On the move? Trio in the spotlight.

    Arsene Wenger has revealed he will sign a maximum of three players this summer transfer window as the club aim to bolster their midfield and attack ahead of the new Premier League season.

    With an air of uncertainty over the futures of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, a lot will depend on their commitment for next term before any significant decisions are made on which attacking players the club will aim to recruit.

    Which stars would you like to see sign for Arsenal this summer?

    Join the conversation and let Sport360 know your thoughts – get in touch using #360fans on Twitter and Facebook.

    JEAN MICHAEL SERI

    The Nice playmaker has attracted plenty of interest from Premier League clubs after an outstanding season, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists in 34 appearances.

    A totemic presence in Nice’s third place Ligue 1 finish, the Ivory Coast international has another two years remaining on his contract, but is expected to put pen to paper on a deal at Emirates Stadium this summer.

    With Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis spotted in the Southern French city recently, it’s believed the pair were present to open talks about a potential move to London.

    Seri’s greatest asset is his ability to keep possession and open up space for his teammates to exploit, an area that could potentially help the Gunners to score more goals through the influential Sanchez and Olivier Giroud.

    In Ligue 1, he holds better stats compared to rival central midfielders Thiago Motta of PSG and Fabinho of Monaco in areas such as assists, key passes, successful take-ons and chances created.

    Where he suffers is his successful tackles percentage, an area which will need vast improvement if he is to excel in England.

    At 25, he could be the ideal replacement for an injury stricken Santi Cazorla.

    CURRENT PRICE: £35 MILLION

    CHANCES OF DEAL HAPPENING: 8/10

    RIYAD MAHREZ

    The former African Footballer of the Year was an inspirational presence in Leicester City’s Premier League triumph in 2016.

    But his form and results of the Foxes dipped significantly last season, placing pressure on an otherwise superb talent.

    With only six goals and three assists in 36 matches, the question remains whether Arsene Wenger needs to fork out over £40 million to add the Algerian international to his current wealth of talent in midfield.

    One drawback of bringing the livewire attacker in would be finding a system that keeps his squad happy and prevents Mesut Ozil being pushed into an unfavoured wide role.

    A key tactic could be for Wenger to convert Mahrez from a winger to a striker role, something he previously did with the likes of club legends Robin van Persie and Thierry Henry.

    He clearly has a formidable goalscoring ability, having netted 17 goals during the Foxes title winning campaign under Claudio Ranieri.

    This would be a major benefit to Arsenal, especially if Sanchez was to leave the club this summer.

    CURRENT PRICE: £40 MILLION

    CHANCES OF DEAL HAPPENING: 7/10

    JAMES RODRIGUEZ

    Real Madrid wantaway James Rodriguez has emerged as one of Wenger’s key transfer targets, should either Ozil or Sanchez opt to leave North London this summer.

    The 25-year-old has failed to nail down a consistent place in Zinedine Zidane’s starting team but has largely delivered when called upon, scoring 11 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions last season.

    Perhaps now is the time for Florentino Perez to cash in on the Colombian international, who didn’t even make the subs bench for the Champions League final, yet is one of the most gifted players in Europe.

    Although Arsenal are overloaded with creative midfielders, north London could be the perfect home for Rodriguez, especially given the fact that David Ospina is his brother-in-law.

    He would have to sacrifice Champions League football for a season, but Arsenal’s brand of football would be fitting to his development.

    Although not the leader Wenger would need, he would definitely bolster the Gunners’ firepower behind an out-and-out frontman.

    CURRENT PRICE: £70 MILLION

    CHANCES OF DEAL HAPPENING: 6/10

    James Rodriguez.

    Rodriguez: Seemingly surplus to requirements at Real.

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