The work Arsenal have done in the transfer market has seen the club sign some impressive players who few knew too much about prior to their arrivals such as Sambi Lokonga, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Nuno Tavares.
Lokonga in particular has stood out for Arsenal in the absence of Granit Xhaka. The Swiss midfielder suffered a serious knee injury against Spurs in September and has been missing ever since. The now 22-year-old Belgian has stepped up and been very capable in the former club captain’s stead.
A couple of poorer displays against Crystal Palace and Liverpool were not surprising considering his youthful stage of development. However, he has shone in games against Aston Villa, Leicester City and more recently the 2-0 win over Newcastle.
Despite his arrival in the summer. Arsenal had looked to be interested in signing further quality reinforcement to the midfield. Xhaka was being linked with a move to Roma but eventually extended his deal with the club.
Midfielders have continued to be linked with the club and names such as Yves Bissouma, Ruben Neves and Bruno Guimaraes were all mentioned.
However, the latest statistics reveal that Lokonga has outperformed all the aforementioned transfer targets. The 75% success rate of total actions in the league this season ranks higher than Guimaraes (73.5%) Bissouma (72.7%) and Neves (69.6%).
Lokonga also has higher interceptions, fewer losses and more recoveries according to Wyscout.
Should this continue, were Arsenal to sign any of the three targets, there would be an argument that they no longer progress the side enough towards their targets. No doubt they would improve the overall squad but perhaps the Gunners need to think bigger.
Central midfielders around Europe are not easy to find at a higher level but three possible options could provide the club with the considerable step up in quality they need for the central midfield.
Youri Tielemans has previously been linked away from Leicester and the club themselves have been open to selling their best players in the past for the right price. Should Arsenal achieve a top-four place this season, perhaps the draw of Champions League football could be enough for the club to land the Belgian.
Fabian Ruiz at Napoli is a far more passing-focused style midfielder. The Spanish international has shone in Serie A since leaving Real Betis and can play comfortably in a variety of central midfield roles. Napoli are shrewd negotiators under owner Aurelio De Laurentiis and would demand a sizeable figure.
Finally, Aurelien Tchouameni. Linked with Chelsea, the young French midfielder is one of the standout talents of Ligue 1. Monaco may not be impressing this season in the same way as they were during the previous campaign but Tchouameni has continued to star.
Very much dependant on Champions League status, Arsenal need to compete with the likes of the Blues should they want to close the gap with them for players in the market and stealing away the 21-year-old would be a big step.
All three signings are what some might describe as ‘unrealistic.’ However, Arsenal’s dream is to not only return to being a Champions League club but a title challenger too. With so much quality and potential in the squad, there needs to be a ruthlessness and intent about the transfers the club makes, and improvement must always be the priority.
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