Arsenal: Grzegorz Krychowiak Transfer Is On

Arsenal have long been linked with Polish bruiser Grzegorz Krychowiak and this summer looks to be the time they finally make the swoop and sign him.

Amidst all of the Arsenal transfer talk and speculation about who can give this team what they need to stop their annual collapse, one name has gone silent since the turn of the year. That name is Grzegorz Krychowiak. The versatile Sevilla midfielder/defender was heavily linked to Arsenal to the point that he was being asked about the link in interviews.

Despite acknowledging that the link existed, Krychowiak noted that so long as he could keep improving at Sevilla, he would not seek an exit. However, as soon as he felt the need for a higher ceiling, he would have no qualms with moving on.

2015 was a big year for Krychowiak, as he said himself. “2015 was a perfect year. We’ve set up specific goals as a team and achieved all of them,” he said, via the Telegraph. “I wanted to win the Europa League and qualify for the Champions League with Sevilla, and secure a spot in Euro 2016 with Poland. We’ve done all that. It’s a 100% success ratio.”

In order for that personal growth to continue, it would therefore make sense that Krychowiak would need to see improvement on a club level. That has not happened. Sevilla fell from fifth in the table to seventh, where they will most likely remain for the short remainder of the season.

Krychowiak’s goal of Champions League football will not be accomplished this year and he has to wonder if it’s time to act on his words. Arsenal are always going to be in the Champions League and given their need for hard-nosed defenders, it would be the perfect time for both parties to finally come together.

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The Polish tank may embody the typical defensive midfielder that Wenger abhors, but Krychowiak’s talents go beyond that, as he can also play center back, something Arsenal desperately need help with. We know how much Wenger loves a bargain buy, so if he can kill two birds with one stone, it only makes sense. Given that Krychowiak is going to cost around £30m, that means that Arsenal would be gaining a bruising defensive midfielder and a center back for £15m a pop. I’d take that any day.

Krychowiak is also a set piece menace, as he wins aerial duels at a rate of over four per game. His no-nonsense, proactive style of defending allows for interceptions galore. He averaged five interceptions per appearance last year. Given Arsenal’s new defensive scheme of Koscielny and Gabriel – two proactive defenders – Krychowiak would fit right in.

If he were to sit right in front of those two center backs, Arsenal’s defensive woes would be put to bed. No one is getting through that. They would have to go wide and I have complete faith in our fullbacks.

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Shoring up the defense should be priority No. 1 on Arsene Wenger’s to-do list. Krychowiak conveniently provides everything Arsenal is looking for in one package. It’s time to swoop. Watch for this rumor to pick up steam as Euro 2016 concludes.

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