Arsenal's desperation for a new central midfielder has been an ongoing issue that Mikel Arteta failed to address in the summer transfer window. Leicester City's Youri Tielemans and Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz were both missed out on, leaving Albert Sambi Lokonga as the only fit backup to Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka.
The Gunners are yet to suffer from their lack of numbers in midfield, with Partey recovering from injury to form a formidable partnership with Xhaka in front of the back four. However, that hasn't stopped Edu and Arteta from working behind closed doors to identify the right man to be signed in the future.
One man who had been named as a possible signing is Napoli's Stanislav Lobotka. The midfielder has been an ever-present figure in Luciano Spalletti's midfield, helping them win 13 of their 14 games this season - including a 4-1 victory over Liverpool.
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Lobotka has attracted interest from the Gunners, alongside Liverpool and Tottenham. However, according to 90min, the Slovakian international is reportedly set to extend his contract at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and reject the possibility of a move across Europe.
The midfielder has been one of Napoli's most eye-catching performers so far this season, alongside defender Kim Min-Jae and forward Khvicha Kvaratshkhelia. After signing for £20 million from Celta Vigo in 2020, Lobotka has been compared to Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta by Spalleti, with former England manager Fabio Capello also praising the 27-year-old.
"There are few around like him," he told II Mattino. "And by 'few', I mean that I don't see any. Nobody. For me, he is the most complete (midfielder) in Serie A in that role. He is intelligent. He is always in good shape and does not lose the ball, as well as being aggressive."
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