Arsenal can still sign five exciting players even without Champions League qualification

Arsenal’s devastating loss to Newcastle on Monday evening all but ended their chances of finishing in the top four and ultimately qualifying for the Champions League. With transfer targets of old now likely being put on the back burner with Europa League football beckoning, the club may now sign other players who could yet wish to taste continental football next season. Express Sport takes a look at five potential options.

Wilfried Zaha

Crystal Palace star Zaha was linked with a move to Arsenal back in 2019, although a deal never came to fruition despite the trickster handing in a transfer request.

The winger, who is Palace’s fourth-leading appearance maker of all-time, could well see a move to the Emirates as his last chance at securing permanent European football away from Selhurst Park.

Whether a deal could be done is anybody’s guess, but with Palace having not qualified for Europe bar the Intertoto Cup in 1998, it may be his only chance to go continental as such.

Tammy Abraham

Abraham reportedly grew up as an Arsenal fan, but never played for the club as he joined Chelsea’s youth academy as a seven-year-old.

He featured sporadically at Stamford Bridge, making 82 senior appearances for the club before jetting off to Roma in the summer under Jose Mourinho.

With the London-born star unable to qualify for the Champions League and with a real chance of not qualifying for Europe at all on the final day, Arsenal could offer him a reprieve as their starting striker next season.

Ruslan Malinovskyi

Ukrainian star Malinovskyi has set Serie A on fire since his move in 2019.

The midfielder has 29 goals and 26 assists in just 128 games for the Bergamo-based outfit, blossoming into one of the most featured attacking midfielders in the division.

With Atalanta also likely to miss out on continental football this season, there may well be a fire sale at the Gewiss Stadium – one which Malinovskyi may be a part of.

Moussa Dembele

With Lyon currently languishing in eighth this season, they too will not be playing European football next term.

Dembele, 25, shone for Celtic in the Champions League under Brendan Rodgers with eight goals in 24 games against the likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and more.

And his experience alongside a relatively young age could well see him excel at the Emirates.