Sports Mole looks at three possible transfer targets for Arsenal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
While erstwhile Gunners Alexandre Lacazette and Mohamed Elneny are on the way to Paris, not a single current Arsenal male player will be representing their countries at the 2024 Olympic Games, but Mikel Arteta and co should still be invested either way.
As men’s teams are only permitted to take three players over the age of 23, the Games provide a brilliant platform for the stars of tomorrow to strut their stuff, and Arsenal have young reinforcements in mind for 2024-25.
A new goalkeeper, midfielder and winger are thought to be of paramount importance to Arteta, whose only permanent capture so far has been David Raya, and a handful of men could strengthen their chances of marquee Emirates moves with impressive displays in Paris.
Here, Sports Mole picks out three possible transfer targets for Arsenal at the 2024 Olympic Games.
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The latest promising teenage talent to emerge from Ligue 1, Rennes attacker Desire Doue is already believed to have caught the eye of Arsenal and a few other European titans on account of his rapid rise to prominence.
The 19-year-old was responsible for four goals and five assists in 31 Ligue 1 matches during the 2023-24 campaign, where he was deployed in a variety of positions, namely left wing, right wing and in the centre of midfield.
A highly competent ball carrier, Doue ranks in the top 1% of wingers for carries into the final third over the past 365 days – averaging 4.20 per 90 minutes – and he is already a European champion with France’s Under-17s.
While Doue tends to favour the left-hand side, his versatility would make him an incredibly useful backup option and competitor to Bukayo Saka on the right, although Rennes have supposedly slapped an asking price of £50m on his head.
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The jewel in Israel’s crown, Oscar Gloukh has been strongly linked with a switch to the Emirates ever since his breakthrough at the Under-19 Euros in 2022, where he scored three goals and set up two more as his nation finished as runners-up to England.
Now a fully-fledged senior international at 20 years old, Gloukh has also taken the Austrian Bundesliga by storm with his prolific playmaking since joining Red Bull Salzburg in 2022, amassing a staggering 27 direct contributions in 40 games last season.
The 2004-born protege notched nine goals of his own in addition to 18 assists, setting up 15 strikes in the Austrian top flight – by far and away the most in the division – although Salzburg lost their grip on the crown to Sturm Graz.
In February, it was reported that Arsenal had deployed scouts to run the rule over Gloukh, who is the heartbeat of the Israel team in the number 10 position but has also taken up left-wing duties on occasion throughout his career.
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With Arthur Okonkwo gone, Karl Hein expected to go out on loan and Aaron Ramsdale likely to leave in search of regular minutes, a new number two goalkeeper may soon be of the utmost importance to Arsenal sporting director Edu.
One shot-stopper whom the Gunners have apparently identified as an ideal deputy to Raya is the USA’s Patrick Schulte, who represents the Columbus Crew in MLS but is out of contract at the end of the calendar year.
The 23-year-old made his senior debut for the USA in January, but he was overlooked for a place in the Yanks’ Copa America squad and has instead shone for the Crew, helping them reach the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in June.
Schulte already has seven clean sheets to show from 19 MLS games in 2024 as Columbus sit third in the Eastern Conference, and he will battle with Chelsea starlet Gabriel Slonina for the right to don the USA gloves in Paris.