What Will Arsenal’s Team Look Like At The Start Of The Season?

With the transfer window in full swing it's hard to know how any side will start the 20115/16 campaign, but we can at least have a good ...

With the transfer window in full swing it's hard to know how any side will start the 20115/16 campaign, but we can at least have a good stab at guessing.

So how will Arsenal line-up when the season starts?

In goal we are going to see Petr Cech take the number one shirt with Wojceich Szczesny retaining his new position as number two. David Ospina had been set to leave the club but reports over the weekend claimed he might be staying. That would give Arsenal four keepers including Emi Martinez so expect to see the Argentine leave on loan. It's also hard to see both Woj and Dave staying, but you never know.

In defence Arsene Wenger has already said that he won't be bringing in any new players after the arrival of Gabriel in January. Expect to see the Brazilian get a lot more game time during the new season as the manager gets ready for life without Per Mertesacker, but for the first game I expect to see the BFG alongside Laurent Koscielny who won't be going anywhere.

At full back things get a little more interesting. Kieran Gibbs is clearly the long-term option for left-back but Nacho Monreal is showing better form and deserves to keep his starting spot after his 14/15 season. At right back Hector Bellerin, likewise, deserves to keep the shirt but we will probably see Mathieu Debuchy try to finally get his Arsenal career going properly one year after arriving.

In the middle of the park we have the chance of a new arrival but in true Arsenal fashion, if a defensive midfielder is to arrive it will probably not be until the season is underway. With no need to bring in any other type of midfielders, we should see Francis Coquelin, Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla take to the pitch in the opening game.

With Lukas Podolski's exit and Joel Campbell likely to follow, spaces in the squad are being freed up but we are unlikely to see them being filled with a blockbuster signing, despite reports (prove me wrong, Arsene) and with Alexis Sanchez being given an extended holiday due to his Copa America exploits, the team that starts against Chelsea at the start of August will be without one of their best players.

Olivier Giroud will lead the line and then the boss has to chose between Aaron Ramsey,Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Welbeck for the two spots on the flank. As it will be Chelsea, I'd say we will see Welbeck and Ramsey start, if for no other reason than their industry.