Andrea Berta must carefully balance improving the Arsenal squad with new additions this summer and ensuring there is still a pathway for young players, such as Ethan Nwaneri, to develop.
Nwaneri is expected to sign a new contract at Arsenal, with his current deal set to expire in 12 months.
The youngster enjoyed his breakthrough campaign in the Gunners’ first team last season, making 37 appearances across all competitions.
Despite featuring this regularly in Mikel Arteta’s side, fans were still frustrated by the player’s lack of minutes at times, and he may be limited to even fewer opportunities next campaign if the North Londoners strengthen in the attacking midfield position.
Martin Odegaard struggled at times this season, and thus it’s no surprise that Arsenal are exploring the possibility of adding another creative midfielder to their ranks.
Konstantinos Karetsas has been linked with Arsenal, as have the likes of Morgan Rogers and Xavi Simons.
However, it appears the Gunners have turned their attention to Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss, with Africafoot reporting that the player is close to a move to the Emirates.
El Khannous impressed at times in a dismal Leicester side last season, scoring three goals and registering five assists in 36 appearances across all competitions.
This form has sparked interest from Arsenal, who are looking to capitalise on the Foxes’ relegation by landing the playmaker for a cut-price fee.
The Gunners are understood to have reached an agreement with the player’s agent, and now have to match Leicester’s demands to secure the transfer.
The Moroccan has an agreement with the East Midlands club that he’ll be allowed to leave the King Power Stadium this summer.
Arsenal Insider revealed back in May that Nwaneri wasn’t close to signing a new contract, with the Hale End graduate reluctant to put pen to paper due to his awareness of the Gunners’ transfer plans.
Wary of the fact that Arsenal plan to sign two new forwards this summer, adding another creative midfielder into the mix would only exacerbate the youngster’s concerns about playing time.
While the contract negotiations have, by all accounts, been developing in the right direction over the last few weeks, the potential arrival of El Khannouss certainly wouldn’t have been what Nwaneri was expecting.
With Arsenal likely to add a winger who can play on both sides, the teenager’s most realistic avenue to minutes is playing centrally, but the Leicester star signing for the North London club would hinder that.
Berta has no doubt promised Nwaneri first-team minutes next season, but these may be hard to come by if 21-year-old Khannouss joins, and this false promise has the potential to agitate the Arsenal starlet.
