In depth analysis of the midfielders Arsenal should be looking at. By Galen Sona.
On paper our midfield looks great, but 3 of them are still going to get injured? I don’t wish bad on our players, but I am tired of hoping the Cazorla, Wilshere and Ramsey would come back from these injuries and save us. Usually by the time they come back we are out of the title race anyway, that is if they come back at all. We need a fit and powerful midfielder to add to this team. The club needs to demonstrate a strong desire to achieve something. That is called ambition.
After looking at the strikers now I want to look at the midfielders. Wenger spoke of 2 players right? Our next focus is on the midfield….
Corentine Tolisso, 14 goals, 6 assists (Lyon, France) 22 years Old. 181cm
He is a complete midfielder, who is capable of doing it all. His passing is usually forward with the aim of maintaining momentum and pressing. Unlike Xhaka he prefers the short sharp quick passes which means he would complement Xhaka greatly. His game is about power and control. His work rate and ability to mark when his team loses possession makes him extra special. This kid is the next big thing and he is ready for the next level. With 14 goals in all competition, 8 in the league, he is proven and quality.
Just like Lacazette he has come out and said Arsenal makes him dream, what more should he do? He says he is ready to go to the next level and that he loves it in England and especially at Arsenal. Lets not be like that guy you give a pretty lady to and he says have you got a bed as well? Tolisso has given us all the hints in this world. What are we waiting for? I don’t want this to be one of those stories where people say we were very close to signing him, he almost played for Arsenal and so on. Make it happen Wenger.
Leon Goretzka, 8 Goals, 4 assists (Schalke, Germany) 22 years old. 189 CM.
If we are not going for Tolisso, then it should only be because we are going for Goretzka. He would be the next big German midfielder. He is the next Ballack and at 22 years of age, we should be all over this transfer. Kolasanic is here, Xhaka, Ozil, Per, all German speaking players, the manager speaks German too. Get Podolski to give him a call, do what ever you can to bring this type of quality to Arsenal. He is also very calm and good on the ball, and willing to run up the pitch for a shot on goal. A very versatile player, Goretzka can operate either as a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder or a right midfielder.
Because he stands at 6’2, his height allows Goretzka to be terrific at winning the ball in the air, which allows him to score goals with his head, and keep possession for Schalke. Goretzka’s size also makes him ideal at blocking the ball, and he has become an ideal shot and cross blocker, a great trait for any defensive midfielder. His willingness to tackle is uncharacteristic of midfielders in modern football as we know it. Goretzka, apart with his tackling, also starts attacks for Schalke by getting lots of interceptions in the midfield. Goretzka is an expert at reading where the other teams passes are going and making interceptions. Even though he is primarily a defensive midfielder, Goretzka possesses a wicked shot from long range. People say we are weak in the middle of the pitch and its easy to bully us, not with this guy.
Naby Keita 8 goals , 7 assist (RB Leipzig) 22 years old.
Loads of noises have been made about him , especially from Germany, I don’t want to say too much about him cause I have never watched him play. My biggest problem with him is the African Nations cup. Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against signing African Players, but that tournament is a problem, when players return they are either too tired or get injured easily. I wanted Wanyama because Kenya never qualifies for the Nations cup. We already have Iwobi and Elneny, who would be leaving us for the tournament. That said he is rated at £50 million, and everybody says he is the real deal, so I suppose he is very good.
Radja Naingolan 16 goals , 8 assist (Roma, Italy) 29 years old.
Tolisso and Goretzka are only top of my list because I don’t see Arsenal spending £30million on a 29 year old midfielder. It was the same reason I said we shall not go in for Arturo Vidal last season. We are scared of bringing quality if we think there is no resale value. This is the most complete midfielder or one of the most complete in the world at the moment. There is nothing he can’t do. Can you imagine him and Xhaka next season? Nobody will mess about with us. He can break legs too I tell you. I would rather have him playing at Arsenal than playing against us.
With 16 goals in all competitions and 11 in the league, he has reached his peak. its like Bayern buying Vidal, buying a player who is on top of his game. This club is so scared of investing in older players its scary. This guy is a winner and he would help change the mindset of the club. But would Arsenal pay £30 million for a 29 year old?
Jean Michele Seri 7 goals , 9 assist (Nice , France) 25 years old
Maybe he is the best midfielder in the French league at the moment. You see a little guy in the centre of the pitch controlling the entire game. He is one of the closest things you would see to Xavi, and a great replacement for Cazorla. Everybody in France is talking about Seri. He has taken Nice to the the Champions league positions. I know loads of Arsenal fans would like to see him here. Like I said, he is spoken of being better than Verratti and is rated highly by everyone. That African Nations cup thing disturbs me, but if we have to go for such quality I won’t be complaining.
Tiemoue Bakayoko 3 goals 1 assist (Monaco, France) 22 years 184 cm
People say he is the next Patrick Vieira. But they say that about most French midfielders. Kondogbia, Schneiderlin, Imbula were all called the next Vieira. I don’t think this kid is just hype, he is a top quality defensive midfielder that does the simple things and does them well. He has a good height and is rock solid and can cope very well in the premier league. At 22 years of age we are talking about someone that can be a solution to a problem position for the next 10 years.
Steven N’zonzi. 3 goals 3 assists (Sevilla, Spain) 28 years Old 190 Cm
I know what people are going to say, but this guy is one of the most under-rated players to have played in the Premier league. In Spain he is getting into the Spanish team of the season and he is actually getting the recognition he deserves. The biggest problem with N’zonzi is the fact that he was a Stoke City player. Always ignored because he played for Stoke City, and thus was labled a rugby footballer. He is premier league proven, Physically strong, wins balls with ease, can spray passes, can score goals. He can do it all and he is at the peak of his game at 28 years old. He can now be a leader .
Sead Kolasanic is coming, Wenger spoke of 2 super quality players, a Striker and a Midfielder will do the trick. I hope the club show their ambition and do whats best for the fans by bringing TOP Quality.
by Galen Sona.
Under Wenger, nothing will change whoever we sign … New manager with new mentality is a must
Agreed.
Wanna know what arsenal is capable of…
Saturday vs Chelsea
How often have we seen that this season?
We haven’t but why?
It’s been the same every season. Amazing fans still think it can change. Amazing
Our fans are easily manipulated. Lol most of them are now coming with 1000 theories as to why wenger must stay. I tell them all one think mark this post or screenshot it and see you next year on February am sure we will still crumble of wenger is incharge but next year the protests will be worse
Agreed, rinse and repeat.
Cazorla is like a new signing. Haha that is exactly what Wenger will say if Ozil goes and he doesn’t buy a new number 10.
Yes, we need a new manager. But if Arsenal announces Wenger’s contract extension, the fans must stop all protests. Unless we want to see a new season starts with negativity.
Regarding the new midfielders, I have never seen the them played, but according to the author:
– Tolisso : Scored 14 goals in this season. Like to create forward passes.
– Seri : Being compared to Xavi, Cazorla and Verratti, he must possess very good technique and ball control. His height is like Cazorla’s and Xavi’s, so maybe he is good at ball possession and dribbling, due to his low center of gravity.
We need to get that type of player, who can help Arsenal dictates the game and build the attack from the back. Arsenal needs to stop looking for physical monsters, because we already have them, such as Walcott, Welbeck, Xhaka, Coquelin, Chamberlain, Ramsey, etc.
If Wenger styas we need to support our team. We can have planes and banners durring game. Totally agree with you. The only one that gets affected are the players on the pitch. Toxic atmosphers created at the club by the media and the fans are falling for it.
Arsenal makes top 4, media says its not a trophy. that nobody remembers TOP 4
Liverpool makes top 4, its a great achievement.
Arsenal wins FA cup media says champons league and top 4 is better. We need to stop outside forces from trying to put a negative on our achievemnet.
We won the FA cup cause we were better than chelsea. Enough with these fools who are saying Chelsea were at the Beach. How can you go on holidays before the FA cup final. Come on the media is fcuked thats for sure.
I want a new manager too but it’s not going to happen this summer. We need to accept that.
Yeah u right
But arsenal fans punching each other in the stands. Planes flying over. Worldwide wenger out banners
Two years more of that.
Robbie from arsenal fan tv will make.millions
I think Wenger done ok though playing in the Europa cup is a different proposition now. I think we need a new structure and must bring in at least six quality players, and get rid of the deadwood, i think he stay for now at least
He said we need one or two recently
Good.luck with your 6 lol
@ John
6 new players? You are having a laugh. last time we got 6, we had Chung u park , Benayoun, gervinho etc and . lets get a few but quality.
with this new formation we don’t need ozil a midfielder of corentine toiisso xhaka and other new addition jean kolasinac new center forward new left forward who can dribble take on defender we are good
Good list of midfielders. However, Nainggolan, Seri and Tolisso are different from the others in the list, as they are NOT a ball winning midfielderers but as the author stated, replacements for Cazorla.
Statistically Goretzka is the best ball winning midfielder out of those in the list, I’m so glad you listed him there. He has gone under the radar because he played for underperforming Schalke, as did Kolasinac as well (and he’s in the Bundesliga Team of the Season). Goretzka got 2,2 tackles and 2.6 interceptions per match last season, and yet scored 8 goals and assisted another 6.
Schalke won’t be playing in CL nor Europa League next season, so he would be my pick of the bunch (as I don’t see Keita moving this summer).
And as for the Cazorla replacent, I still hope for Isco who hasn’t penned a new deal which expires in 2018…
@McLovin
I hope While were scouting Sead Kolasinac, we saw Goretzka as well. I also like the fact that Gorentzka is 1.89m or 6ft3. He is strong and physical. Like I said in the Article, Goretzka and Tolisso are my first choices.
jean Micheal Seri has also played some of the best football in Europe this year, the African Nations cup thing is the only reason I haven’t spoken so much about him. We already have so much injuries in midfield to lose players for 6 weeks for tournaments.
Not to mention that Goretzka’s contract runs down in 2018 too…
That would wave the door for Elneny I reckon, which in my opinion, is not a loss. He didn’t cost much and is quite average (and also a AFCON player).
Wow 6 new players? Wow some of us don’t even know what club we support. Assuming Sead Kolasinac has signed. I would rather we bring 2 Worldclass players of £40million + than to sign 6 average players that would add nothing to the squad.
If Wenger says 2 more players and they are super Quality , I would take that any day any time. Thats for sure. Look At Elneny, Perez, there is no point in making this type of signings aymore. Don’t get me wrong, they are good players. But we don’t need good, we need Next level.
I rather we go for Worldclass or for nothing. Its that simple.
Imagine
Sead Kolasinac Free
Lukaku or belloti £70 million
Tollisso £35 million
Thats 100millio+ spent but on quality that would improve us. Instead of making 6 averege signings to come keep the bench warm.
Kolasinac FREE (seems likely)
Onyekuru £7 millions (seems likely)
Goretzka £15 millions
World Class Striker WHATEVERITTAKES millions
And that’s only of Santi stays healthy and Sanchez, Özil and OX stays.
Me likes goretzka too, but i doubt15m is the inflated rate now.
Goretzka
Belotti
Van Dijk
And then you remember who owns the club. And then you remember that the tickets next season will be cheaper due to lack of UCL football. Maaaybe we get one of these midfielders, and a replacement for Sanchez, but I’m beyond sure that a top striker won’t be wearing an Arsenal shirt, unless he was created by Arsenal, as long as we’re under kroenke’s claws.
The key question for a cm purchased is balance. Let’s assume that xhaka has one spot tied up. Then the one phrase that must be banned from any discussion is ‘santi cazorla replacement’. Because we now have a beep lying playmaker of promise, even if he is a rough diamond as yet. But if Wenger dies indeed think the ideal partner of this type of player is a diminutive clever player, then it really is game over. The ideal partner for xhaka will be a powerful runner with creative potential, manifestly not a traditional playmaker or an attacking midfielder. If we sign another cazorla(other than as a shadow for ozil) , 6th is our limit. The choice here is pivotal to the point of critical to whatever ‘new beginning’ emerges from Wenger’s new contract. The over indulgence of puny attacking midfielders is the signature of the decade of gloom, and the single biggest separation between Wenger’s good teams and his poor ones. So for me keita or bakayoko are the two stand outs. Keita is small but physical, bakayoko and xhaka makes me dream of Vieira and Petit. Seri is not a serious option for me…25 and only just coming to attention and media only love him as he looks like kante, but kante excels inspite of his size, not because if it. I’ve never seen tolisso play so maybe someone can tell me he us a power player, buy I thought he was more the converted winger type am(which must be avoided at all costs), his stats seem to bear this out. …happy to be educated otherwise!
@Sleepingiant
Honestly I think ramsey is a great partner for Xhaka. ramsey covered i think 14.4 Km in the FA cup final. That is insane amount of box to box running. The problem is the injuries he gets. We can’t be going into seasons after season counting on 3 players Ramsey Cazorla Wilshere, its the same stories with the injuries. Europa league = More games.
I have watched alot of Tolisso and he is a very good player. Napoli tried using their Gonzalo Higuain money to sign him for £30million but he rejected the move. This year he has added goals to his game and has improved so much i his box to box skills. 14 goals in all competition is testament to that. At 22 years he would only get better. he is a lil similar to dele Ali if i must say, but he is more defensive , he wins alot of balls and starts most of lyons attcks.
Wenger has agreed terms on a new two-year contract, according to ESPN. The delusional one will meet the Arsenal board at a meeting on Tuesday where his future will be rubber stamped. Contracts have already been drawn up and were verbally agreed, as long as six months ago, with Wenger still firmly of the belief that he’s the best man for the job. ?
1)I also hear Sanchez and Ozil has agreed to stay and sign and extention.
2) there is negotiation for a top player to sign for Arsenal.
3) Wenger to saty as manager for 2 more years .
This news is coming form @Ozilcentro who is one of the most reliable Arsenal informant cause he works for Arsenal . Bluemoon Mancity forum are so upset with the tweets , they were already celebrating the signing of Sanchez and had about 250 pages full of comments.
Seems rumors?
If the duo signs extensions, I don’t even mind that Wenger stays.
But, something about our board and owner doesn’t make me confident that anything other than Wenger extending his stay will happen.
I’ve never wanted to be proved wrong more than now.
this is very easy but wenger just had to have the will to do it corentine tolisso jean kolasinac thomas lemar center forward choice lukaku Alexandre lacazette belotti sell bellerin there are better Wing back out there get rid of deadwood Wolcott Jack ozil don’t need to mention the obvious one
Thank you Galen. I’m not a huge fan if ali as a midfielder – he’s an attacker to me, but i will keep an intetrsted eye in tolisso as you say he is note if a midfielder. I think he is the one on your list with superstar potential judging in his numbers, its just the balance that concerns me. For me xhaka/santi us an absolute disaster cinbunation and anything that resembles that will have me reaching for the vallium. Yes I agree about Ramsey to a point. While I would like more physicality as well as running, to be honest if we were talking Ramsey 2013, then he is a better player, and better partner for xhaka than any of even those stellar players on that list. He really was that good..on the CUSO if being irreplaceable by anyone anywhere. But that’s one of arsenals problems, isn’t it. Our entire squad( leaving the superstars aside) is made up of players who at one stage were borderline too class, but who regress to a more mediocre level for most of their careers. I think the reason is more the gentle complacency of the regime than injuries, though doubtless they play a part. They just aren’t pushed, and are not the bulging eyed zealots a la Adams or roy Keane (or the peerless Alexis)who will motivate themselves. I mean keep an eye out for this…lets see his often the club mouthpieces (Wenger included) will talk about getting back into the cl next yeay. But that will be it. What is needed is for the manager to openly declare that this summer marks the 1st step in an obsessional quest to win the damn thing. They won’t, because to do so would be to admit to the dismal nature of their past cl results and upset the genteel colney atmosphere. And Fatboy, I’m no itk, and I’m not even being pessimistic, but I have no interest in tomorrow’s meeting. Because I am 100% certain Wengr is here to stay. Absolutely no doubt. As sure as mourhino, pep or pocchetino. There are obviously some details to be finished, but l wont even be checking news now for confirmation. Its that certain. And given that I have been on it continuously since Friday for onyeryku updates, this may give you an idea if his certain I personally feel. If kroenke wanted shot if him, we would know by now. Stan won’t rock his boat while its value is so high.
Interesting news…..Alexis staying makes Wenger contract somewhat palatable. In my humble opinion he is very close to the inner circle of the very greatest players ever to play for arsenal….James, Brady, Adams, Henry, bergkamp. Say 4 more years of Alexis and he is up there with them . phenomenal player…. Nobody ever mentions his 2 coppa America triumphs. Best player in EPL by an absolute chasm. Eden hazard would not even dream of being in his class, despite media hype.
Romeu would be some upgrade on Coquelin.
wenger never learns.. arsenal needs up to five buys this summer to stabilize, lest they’ll fall into same rut as past seasons. look what happened when kocieny went on injury. we got an embarrassing trash from bayern. we obviously need a younger but experienced replacement for him. we were only lucky chelsea weren’t their best when we met them for the FA finals. not to mention an adequate replacement for carzola. our midfield needs a total overhaul. they’re all squad players. every position needs a replacement in case something goes wrong. .
out:
Gibbs, Perez, Wilshere, Sanogo, Debuchy, El neny, Campbell
about 40mil
in:
Naingolan, Kolasinac, Aguero
about 90mil
No way could Arsenal sign Aguero from City. Even if we could offer champions league football Pep wouldn’t sell to a team in the Premier league. We’d struggle to sign Lukaku or sturridge.
Need to beef up our squad.. thats all.. The current squad are coming up to speed with their current roles, but they wont be able to maintain fitness levels while playing thursday and saturday every week, in addition to the travelling and all..
Besides, its only a matter of time till someone figures out how to get around our current 3-4-3 system.. Get Tolito to rotate with ramsey and coq, thankfully xhaka is here to ensure carzola isnt physically drained, and vice versa.. A clinical and really mobile foward, and a left-sided wingback, whom I’d have preferred to be the exact copy of chambo on the right.. Though Kolasinac is good enough for me as well..
Personally love Elnenny too much, but I just dont see how he fits in our squad anymore 🙁
Just a squad player in a role with many squad players already, and even further worsened by the new system