Transfer Centre

How Arsenal could line up with Antoine Griezmann

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 02 July 2020

Amid speculation linking Arsenal with a move for Antoine Griezmann, Sports Mole looks at how the Gunners could line up with the Frenchman in their ranks.

Arsenal are reportedly keeping a close eye on developments surrounding Barcelona attacker Antoine Griezmann.

The Frenchman has registered a respectable return of 14 goals and four assists for Quique Setien's side across all competitions this term, but Griezmann is not a guaranteed starter at Barcelona and has failed to contribute to any goals in their last nine La Liga outings.

Griezmann still has four years left to run on his contract at Camp Nou following his big-money move from Atletico Madrid last summer, but there are suggestions that Barcelona could be willing to part ways with the 29-year-old during a transfer market likely to be heavily impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

Arsenal are also facing uncertainty over their forward line, with question marks hanging over the heads of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how the Gunners could line up next season if they manage to secure a deal for Griezmann.

Griezmann's versatility in attack could see him be utilised in a number of roles by Mikel Arteta, and the World Cup winner would fit in on the wing or as an out-and-out striker in this Arsenal side.

However, the 29-year-old would most likely start behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation, especially with Mesut Ozil's future shrouded in uncertainty with the German having not played a single minute of football since the Premier League resumed.

Despite having just one year left on his Arsenal contract, Arteta is optimistic that Aubameyang will pen a new deal to stay in North London, and the Gabon international would be a guaranteed starter out wide for the Gunners.

Lacazette has been forced to battle Eddie Nketiah for a spot in the starting lineup recently, but should the Frenchman regain his goalscoring form, he would be the player that his compatriot Griezmann would be looking to feed next season if he does make the switch to the Premier League.

Nicolas Pepe would occupy the right-hand-side in what would be a truly formidable front four at the Emirates, although the emergence of Reiss Nelson and Bukayo Saka could see the two academy products regularly challenging for spots in the first team.

Elsewhere, Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka could form a midfield partnership, with Dani Ceballos reportedly unlikely to stay in North London permanently, and Matteo Guendouzi's long-term future has also been called into question following disciplinary problems since the restart.

In defence, William Saliba is expected to slot in at centre-back when he arrives in the English capital ahead of next season, and the Frenchman would be part of a back four alongside Hector Bellerin, Pablo Mari and Kieran Tierney under Arteta.