If Arsenal Could Only Sign One More Player This Summer, Who Should It Be?

So far this summer Arsenal have made two additions to the first team. Sead Kolasinac joined on a free transfer from Schalke before Alexandre Lacazette became the most expensive player in the club's history when he signed from Lyon.

However, the chequebook is not necessarily closed. Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has indicated that he may still be interested in conducting further business, telling a press conference (h/t ESPN.co.uk):

"There is nothing really concrete about any signing. I'm open to get some more signings, but it's not easy to find the players to strengthen our squad because we have top-quality players."

Those words are typical of Wenger, who does not tend to part with money without careful consideration. When it comes to squad building, he believes in a process of evolution rather than revolution. It's his belief that too many signings can destabilise and unbalance the team.

So what if Arsenal were limited to just one more signing this summer? Who would the fans like to see arrive? What do the experts think? Who, in our opinion, is the one man who could missing piece for Arsenal in this transfer window?

What do the polls say?

We put the question to Arsenal fans on Twitter, giving them the choice of four players who've been linked, however spuriously, with a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer. Crucially, the chosen quartet operate in a variety of different roles.

Thomas Lemar was the overwhelming favourite, racking up 55 percent of nearly 12,000 votes. The Monaco playmaker has been linked with Arsenal for the majority of the summer, and it was hoped he might arrive as a potential long-term successor to arch-creator Mesut Ozil.

However, Arsenal's pursuit of Lemar may be doomed. Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev told Sky Sports:

"I have also seen speculation about the case of Lemar. But he stays with us, we talked together, he has a tremendous talent, he is also a must for our team."

It's a similar situation for German box-to-box midfielder Leon Goretzka—the second-most-popular choice on the poll. Goretzka's stamina and technique would make him a superb addition to the Arsenal midfield, but Goretzka has already agreed to sign for Bayern Munich in 2018, according to Raphael Honigstein (h/t The Sun).

It's intriguing that so many supporters opted to vote for Virgil van Dijk. Graham Read of the Express has linked the Dutch defender with a switch to London, but Arsenal would appear to already have plenty of options at centre-half. The fact that many fans feel Van Dijk should be a priority suggests Gunners supporters still have concerns over their defensive security.

Jean Seri was not a particularly popular choice, which caused some consternation here at Bleacher Report. More on that later…

What are fans saying?

As well as responding directly to the poll, we gave fans the opportunity to let their views be known in tweets. Here is a selection of the responses:

"

Van dijk anyday. Haven't had tall commanding CD in some time. Need one.

Kolas-kosc-van dijk-mustafi-bellerin

襤襤襤襤

— Ws Akhil (@WSA_97) July 25, 2017"

What do influencers think?

We also reached out to a number of Arsenal influencers to get their take on what Wenger must do between now and deadline day.

Tim Clark: Arsenal writer and podcaster

Twitter: @arse2mouse

One signing: Naby Keita

TF-Images/Getty Images

"With Marco Reus not getting any younger and seemingly made of whatever the German for balsawood is, I turn my unrequited transfer affections away from the wings and towards Arsenal's wobbly midfield.

"In order to shore the centre up, I'd like us to sign RB Leipzig's Naby Keita. There are a few reasons for this. 1) The dynamism he'd bring to our midfield might be exactly what our squad of fragile peacocks needs to turn into a more coherent, uh, flock? 2) He really does have a stellar YouTube video, even by the hyperbolic standards set by the fine editors working in the montage medium. 3) It'd really annoy Liverpool fans. Take a guess at which of those persuaded me most."

Charles Watts: Arsenal writer at Football.London

Twitter: @charles_watts

One signing: Thomas Lemar

Frederic Stevens/Getty Images

"Lemar's young, talented and would provide Arsenal with a real spark that they've been missing in recent seasons.

"He's got pace, technique, can beat his man and has a great eye for goal. The most exciting thing is he will only get better as well.

"Lemar is an exceptional talent, a player who will her fans on their feet—he's the sort of attacker Arsenal fans should be seeing at the Emirates."

Clive Palmer: Arsenal writer and podcaster

Twitter: @clivepafc

One signing: Jean Seri

FRANCK PENNANT/Getty Images

"Seri needs to be top of our list. 

"The 26-year-old Nice midfielder is wanted by Roma, per L'Equipe (h/t Get French Football News), and has the all-round controlling scoring assist ability we need. 

"He's mobile, strong and will ensure we are less vulnerable as, positionally, he knows his role."

Mean Lean: Arsenal blogger

Twitter: @arsenalvision

One signing: Jean Seri

ISSOUF SANOGO/Getty Images

"I’d be surprised if we’re not all singing from the same hymn sheet on this occasion.

"The one area of the pitch that surely needs upgrading is our central midfield. Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey have formed a good partnership so far, although the sample size has been relatively small. The only other working partnership that we’ve seen in recent years has been the Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla duo, and even that had its problems at times.

"It is difficult to factor in Santi into the argument with his injury problems but I don’t believe the answer is to look for a player to do what Santi can do, we would be looking for an awful long time, especially at a semi-sane fee. I believe that Granit Xhaka is the future of this team, so we need to find another midfielder who can balance what the Swiss cannot do so well. Quick across the pitch, defensively switched-on yet have the technical qualities to thrive in possession. Just to complicate matters further, we need a player who can play in place of Granit Xhaka, too, as he cannot be expected to play all the matches.

"The only name I can think of, who ticks all the above boxes is that of Naby Keïta, but as Liverpool have found out, it doesn’t look like his club are ready to part ways with the dynamic midfielder. My scouts (YouTube) tell me that Jean Michael Seri is the type of player who would fit in perfectly on the ball, but my data team (WhoScored.com and Squawka) say that his defensive numbers are perhaps not as high as you’d like.

"Hopefully we are looking for a midfielder this summer, as good as the Rambo/Xhaka partnership seems to be, we cannot expect them to play the entire season and our backups may not have the full trust of the manager. Hopefully, the guys with the real scouting tools can find the right player to complement what we have."

Our view

It's telling that several Arsenal influencers went for players in the middle of the park. Having already acquired a defender and a striker, Arsenal urgently need a central midfielder.

Right now, Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka constitute Wenger's first-choice midfield pairing. However, with the exception of the perennially crocked Santi Cazorla, the other options at the manager’s disposal are not up to scratch.

Wenger needs competition and cover for Ramsey and Xhaka—especially as they have a propensity to miss games through injury and suspension, respectively.

Keita would be a fantastic signing, but the size of the fee might put Wenger off. By comparison, Seri could prove to be a bargain: He's technically excellent, a proficient passer and athletic enough to cope in the Premier League. Seri could well be the successor to Cazorla that Arsenal require.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and follows the club from a London base.