Sven Mislintat wants Arsenal to sign a defensive midfielder as one of four positions he’s looking to strengthen this summer according to reports, but who should he buy?
We recently covered reports of the four areas Arsenal’s new head of recruitment wants to strengthen over the summer, which you can check out here.
One of these areas was in midfield. Arsene Wenger sold Francis Coquelin in January, further depleting an already sparse array of options. Although Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny are showing signs of improvement, Arsenal still need to invest in the summer.
So who could the club look to target?
Adrien Rabiot
- Age: 22
- Current club: Paris Saint-Germain
- Contract until: 2019
- Market value: £40.5m
Rabiot blends physicality with technical ability, and is a long-term target of Arsene Wenger. Last year he told reporters he was going to talk about extending his contract in the summer, but a year later they still haven’t made any progress.
If that’s still the case when the window opens, with only a year left on his deal, Arsenal should make a move. It’s unlikely they’ll be able to match PSG’s wage offer, but it’s worth a shot anyway.
Rabiot is still young, but he already has a lot of experience under his belt. Plus he ticks all the boxes for what Arsenal need in a midfielder.
He has a physical presence, he doesn’t struggle to play out under pressure, he contributes defensively and gets involved in the goals from time to time as well.
For a more detailed report on Rabiot and what he could offer Arsenal, check out this article.
Mario Lemina
- Age: 24
- Current club: Southampton
- Contract until: 2022
- Market value: £13.5m
Arsenal followed Lemina before his move to Southampton last summer, and the midfielder said at the time that he was “flattered” by their interest. According to L’Equipe, the club still haven’t “dropped the case”.
The 24-year-old excels at tackling and winning aerial duels. He’s also strong in possession, with 88% pass accuracy for the season (89.8% last season), and he isn’t easy to knock off the ball.
Plus, he has the advantage of having played in the Premier League for a year, so he’ll need less time to adapt.
Another thing that could help Arsenal’s pursuit is if Southampton end up getting relegated.
It’s always more difficult to hold onto your best players if you go down, and many footballers have clauses to allow them to leave for less if you do.
The Saints are currently one point above the relegation zone with eight games left.
Fabinho
- Age: 24
- Current club: Monaco
- Contract until: 2021
- Market value: £36m
Fabinho is another player who has been linked with Arsenal a fair amount in the past. The media reported that the club joined Atletico Madrid and Manchester United in following him last summer.
In the end though, Monaco had already sold a number of players for a large profit, so they were under no pressure to offload another.
Nonetheless, Fabinho is still young, and he’s having another great season with the French side. He’s scored seven goals and assisted three, despite largely playing as a defensive midfielder.
The Brazilian is strong in the tackle and in the air, and isn’t easy to knock off the ball. He can also play an accurate pass, and creates chances well when he gets up the pitch. He’s also versatile, having played at right-back before in the past.
He’d be well worth a bid this summer, but there’d probably be competition for his signature.
Steven N’Zonzi
- Age: 29
- Current club: Sevilla
- Contract until: 2020
- Market value: £27m
On Wednesday, N’Zonzi showed just what he’s capable of against English opposition, as he walked all over Manchester United’s midfield in a 2-1 win for Sevilla.
His passing was inch-perfect, as it so often is, and he has a major physical presence as well.
In January, reports suggested the 6’5″ defensive midfielder was Wenger’s number one target. Clearly this turned out not to be the case, but it still implies Arsenal were somewhat interested.
N’Zonzi also seemed fairly keen on a transfer throughout 2017. He asked to leave in the summer, then spent time away from the squad after a rift with the manager.
For now he’s focusing on his football again, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the rumours return in the coming window.
Idrissa Gueye
- Age: 28
- Current club: Everton
- Contract until: 2022
- Market value: £16.2m
Like Lemina and N’Zonzi, Gueye also has the advantage of Premier League experience. The Senegal international joined Everton in 2016, and played for Aston Villa before that so he’s spent a while in England now.
Gueye’s game is very much focused around defensive contributions.
His passing stats and goal contributions are relatively average, but he holds onto the ball very well, and consistently puts up high numbers in terms of tackling and interceptions. Plus he rarely loses focus in his defensive duties.
If Arsenal want to sign someone who is less of an all-rounder and more of a defensive midfield specialist, Gueye could be the right player to go for.
Then again, limited technical ability on the ball is why Francis Coquelin ended up leaving. So I’m not entirely sure that’s what they’re after.