Arsenal Must Pay Whatever Lars Bender’s Price Tag Is

Bayer Leverkusen’s star defensive midfielder Lars Bender could be Arsenal’s savior this season, according to fans. Will the pressure be too much for Bender?

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender has been linked heavily with Arsenal for the past three transfer windows. Yet again the rumors have reached a boiling point. According to the Metro, the backroom staff at Bayer 04 have confirmed that a deal could be possible in the January window. Though they have made multiple attempts to block Bender leaving the BayArena in the past, this seems like the most likely time for something to happen.

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Arsenal fans were frustrated for good reason when there were no reinforcements brought in to cover Francis Coquelin’s position in the summer of 2015. 24-year-old Coquelin became a first team player at the start of 2015 when Arsene Wenger had nobody to turn to during a midfield injury crisis. If the French defensive midfielder picks up an injury with any degree of severity, that problem will arise once again.

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The current problem that plagues Arsenal is multiple injuries in different parts of midfield. Arsenal’s depth at the attacking midfield positions is superior to their meager amount of defensive midfielders, so adding talent in attacking midfield is less important than strengthening Coquelin’s spot right now. Coquelin has already been out for a short period of time this season. If Lars Bender is the one player brought in to cover him and Coquelin gets hurt, how will his German teammate respond?

Lars Bender has accumulated a match rating of 7.86 over his seven appearances in the Bundesliga, according to whoscored.com. Coquelin’s 7.37 rating is inferior, but each player’s defensive stats tell a more comprehensive story.

Lars Bender plays in a Leverkusen team that press a lot more than Arsenal do, so it is no surprise that he attempts 6.7 tackles per game compared to Coquelin’s 4.3 tackles per game. Bender’s tackle success rate is 73%, successfully making 4.9 tackles. Coquelin’s success rate is 74%, and he makes 3.2 tackles per game.

Those two statistics explain only that each player is proficient in the tackle while playing in their domestic league. The real story is told by each player’s Champions League stats. Coquelin makes 1.8 tackles per game through his four Champions League starts, his success rate at 47%. Lars Bender, on the other hand, has made four of his five attempted tackles (80%) in two starts in European competition.

Bender – A Complete Player

As well as successful tackles per game, Bender is superior in interceptions and shots on target, rounding off his game and putting his all-around talent above Coquelin. Bender’s 3.7 interceptions per game domestically and 3.0 per game in Europe are superior to Coquelin’s 3.2 interceptions per game in the Premier League and 2.3 per game in Europe.

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Lars Bender also possesses talents on the offensive end that Coquelin cannot dream of having at the moment. His 0.6 shots on target per game and 1.3 key passes per game in the Bundesliga thus far are superior to Coquelin’s <0.1 shots on target per game and 0.3 key passes per game in the Premier League.

There is no doubt that Lars Bender is a quality defensive midfielder, but he has an offensive side to his game that most Premier League fans are likely not aware of. The German playing together with Coquelin could be a brilliant partnership, considering Bender’s ability to shoot and make defense-splitting passes combined with Coquelin’s strength and dribbling.

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Undoubtedly there will be a lot of pressure on Bender if he signs for the ailing Gunners in the January window, but this looks like one of the most tempting transfer targets in recent history. It could prove an absolute steal for Arsene Wenger if he secures the 26-year-old’s services for anywhere under 25 million pounds.