Marco Verratti would be brilliant at Arsenal

Depending on who you ask, Arsenal’s needs this transfer window will vary, but one thing most people will agree on is that Arsenal need defensive midfield reinforcement. Francis Coquelin is a golden boy but he still lacks any sort of offensive ability, is prone to errant passes, commits egregious fouls from time to time and once he is on a yellow card, the risk is multiplied.

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Behind him, Arsenal have Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla. Arteta has no pace to speak of, although he still has fantastic instincts, Aaron Ramsey can be caught forward and Cazorla does not have the size or tenacity to be an enforcer.

Marco Verratti is everything that we do not have from a defensive midfield standpoint. The 22-year old PSG man has become a superstar in no time flat and has often sent tantalizing signals to potential suitors about his future. His recent bit went like this: “I will consider my options the day I no longer feel good at PSG or when the club wants to sell me but England, Spain and Italy are all options. What matters most is the project,” (via Goal.com).

There are two ways you can take that. Most players out there will continue to tell you that they are happy where they are and then a week later they are shipped out. Look at Mesut Ozil in 2013.

However, it may be exactly what it seems and Verratti is happy. Why shouldn’t he be? He is a mainstay on one of the strongest teams in the world.

Ignoring the if’s and when’s, Marco Verratti would be absolutely brilliant with Arsenal. Through the past two years, the Italian midfielder’s pass completion is right at 92%. Only Ozil and Cazorla hang out in the 90% area and even they fall into the mid-80s at times. It may not be as easy to pass in the Premier League, but with a passing-centric team like Arsenal, Verratti would still conceivably be a force to be reckoned.

Perhaps the biggest criticism of Verratti is his size. He is a tad bit smaller than Jack Wilshere. Draw back? Yes. But when you consider his rambunctious style of play, he makes up for his size in a heartbeat. Verratti is a very strong tackler, as he completed about four tackles a game last year. He also manages around two interceptions a game as well. It may not be Coquelin-like numbers, but it is quality defense to complement his control on the ball and his offensive prowess.

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Marco Verratti notched 3 goals and added 8 assists last year, while contributing 1.2 key passes per match as well. That is production we will never see out of Coquelin.

I am still in favor of Coquelin being a key component of our midfield, but to have another true-blooded holding midfielder on the team would save us from walking the injury tightrope again, a game I am not too fond of. Plus, at just 22-years of age, Verratti is already a star and will only get better at a time when Arsenal’s midfield is hitting a golden age, with Ramsey, Wilshere, Coquelin, Ozil and the Ox all under 26 years of age.

Another box-to-box midfielder never hurt anyone, nor did a little internal competition.

The plausibility of the move going through this summer is very slim, as Verratti is indeed happy at PSG, but in the future, when he may seek higher fortunes elsewhere, Arsenal should be on red alert.

(Stats via WhoScored.com)