Many Arsenal fans have been calling for Arsene Wenger to bring in a top defensive midfielder for the last few years, but nothing has materialised so far except that we got lucky when we recalled Francis Coquelin from Charlton.
But now with Matthieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta getting on in years, we probably need a back up to Coquelin for next season to really provide cover and take us to the next level. The latest Arsenal rumours are saying that our Number One target is the out-of-favour Real Madrid star Asier Illarramendi, who is said to be available for £28.9million this summer.
This seems a bit steep for a player that has struggled to get into Madrid’s star-studded side, and still hasn’t yet made an appearance for Spain at senior level. It seems the Spanish giants have lost faith in the ex-Real Sociedad man and has already signed Lucas Silva in January to replace him in the squad.
Obviously Arsenal are only looking for a backup to the in-form Coquelin, but no matter what his previous reputation has been, it seems to be a risk to pay that much for a player unproven in the Premier League.
Personally I would much rather we got someone like Morgan Schneiderlin who would require no settling in period at all!
What do you think?