Five central midfielders Arsenal should sign this summer

Although Arsenal have an embarrassment of riches in attacking midfield we still lack the strength in depth in the defensive part of the job.

Apart from Francis Coquelin there is no other naturally defensive player and we need another player in the squad who is equal if not better defensively than Le Coq. Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini are good options but not pacey enough and commit too many fouls in dangerous positions to be relied upon. This duo are also not getting any younger, which we need to bare in mind.

All of the players mentioned would make a big impact at Arsenal irrespective of who the club manages to buy this summer. The club will need to buy at least one or two midfielders to hopefully challenge for the title next season.

So without further adieu, here are the FIVE midfielders who we at Arsenal Mania believe could make the difference at The Emirates next season:

Morgan Schneiderlin

My first choice would be the obvious signing of Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin. He was the subject of speculation last summer including a somewhat protracted and ultimately failed move to rivals Spurs. He will arguably be available for around £20 million which would be cheaper than other top players in Europe. This Frenchman has had another stand-out campaign thus far for the Saints. Making a total of 30 appearances and scoring five goals, he has made an impression this season. He is at the right age too – 25 years old so he will soon hit his peak.  He makes tough tackles and makes the rest of the team tick and comes with the added bonus of already playing in the Premier League.

Illarramendi

 

Another option is Real Madrid player Illarramendi who has struggled to get into the La Liga side. He is not an orthodox defensive midfielder but likes to build up play from the back. He could be the ideal replacement for club Captain Mikel Arteta. Coming from Real Sociedad he was expected to make a big impact at the Bernabeu but it hasn’t materialised to date.

Blaise Matuidi

A possible signing for Arsenal could be PSG player Blaise Matuidi however he is a little older than the others. He is 28 years old, a French international and has been at this French side since 2011 scoring 14 goals. He is known for his tough tackling which is something this Arsenal side has been missing.

Sami Khedira

A player who was rumoured to be a potential target for Arsenal last summer was Sami Khedira. He could even be available on a free transfer as his current club Madrid has yet to offer him a contract. There is no doubting his quality but his recent injury problems may put Wenger off.

William Carvalho

William Carvalho is another player who could be available this summer as his current club Sporting Lisbon is struggling financially so they could be desperate to sell. There was speculation that Wenger was interested in this young player. He has a strong physical presence and can also cover for the centre back position.