Top five combative midfielders Arsenal should sign to be the next Patrick Vieira at the Emirates…
Arsenal have been missing a dominant central midfielder since the day Patrick Vieira left, and Arsene Wenger is doing his best to fill that void…
“I’m happy with the signings but we still need a physical presence with prodigious ability like Vieira or Petit,” the Frenchman recently told beIN Sports.
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Here are five candidates for the role who combine technical ability with physical presence…
5) Sami Khedira – Real Madrid
Out of contract at the end of the season, Khedira may prove a cheaper option when it comes to transfer fees. He will however, likley demand astronomical wages after playing at Real Madrid these past seasons. The German international would probably be happy to link back up with Mesut Ozil, but with his recent injury record would Arsene Wenger take a gamble on him?
4) Luiz Gustavo – Wolfsburg
Former Bayern Munich star Luiz Gustavo was a player that looked certain to move to Arsenal at one point, but he chose to stay in the Bundesliga and secured a move to Wolfsburg. It was believed at the time that his reasoning was to put him in better stead for the World Cup in Rio, so he may still be open to a move to North London.
3) Lars Bender – Bayer Leverkusen
Lars Bender is arguably the most popular choice for Arsenal fans, despite many knowing very little about the German midfielder. He is versatile and reliable which is something Wenger looks for in a player, but he seems happy at Leverkusen and would command a somewhat sizeable transfer fee, rated at over £20m during the summer.
2) William Carvalho – Sporting Lisbon
The transfer of Carvalho is one that is made difficult by a number of factors, the main one being third party ownership. He is probably the player that is most similar to former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, and he was heavily linked with the Gunners over the summer. He would almost certainly be the most expensive player on this list in terms of transfer fees, but his relatively low wages would go some way to counteracting his huge £37m buyout clause.
1) Morgan Schneiderlin – Southampton
The Saints’ French midfielder could be the best option for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. He is already acclimatised to the Premier League, would fit perfectly into the team’s playing style, and his stats show that he fares very well in comparison to others on the list. He was linked with both Arsenal and Tottenham over the summer, with neither club meeting Southampton’s valuation of him. He may prefer to rejoin former manager Maurico Pochettino at Spurs, but if fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger can convince Schneiderlin to come to Arsenal he would no doubt solve the club’s midfield woes.