Arsenal: Thomas Lemar offers key, intriguing asset

Arsenal are being heavily linked with a move for Monaco winger Thomas Lemar. The 21-year-old offers one key, intriguing asset: directness.

Theo Walcott is a hugely divisive figure among Arsenal circles. While he has scored 19 goals this season, showcasing a ruthless streak in front of goal and a growing anticipation in his positioning in and around the penalty area, there is still a growing number of fans who sight his inconsistent performances as vices that should keep him on the bench.

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One of the primary issues in his game is his dribbling. It is not necessarily the technical shortcomings that limit him from being a fluid, threatening runner with the ball at his feet. Rather, it is his willingness to do so.

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Walcott possesses all of the athletic traits to be a dangerous dribbler: he has great pace, is capable searing past opposing defenders with ease, he has good balance and agility and is able to change direction quickly, without losing any speed. There are few players that are able to replicate the same blend of pace and precision in their dribbling. And yet, whenever Walcott is given the opportunity to drive at an opposing defender, especially when out wide with space to run into, he seems to spurn it, choosing to turn back, keep the ball and play safe.

And that is a vice that is plaguing the whole Arsenal team. They are too safe. Rarely does anyone pick up the ball and drive at the opposing defence. Players are too quick to turn back and keep the ball for keeping the ball’s sake. It is allowing opposing defences to sit deep, compact the space, remain resolute and disciplined, and making themselves difficult to break down. Arsenal need someone who is willing to be direct.

That is where Thomas Lemar enters the fray. The Monaco winger has been heavily linked with a move to North London, with Arsene Wenger allegedly intrigued by the pace and the skill that he brings in wide areas. Lemar, while not the household name that many fans may hope for, is a player who would bring the much-needed trait of directness to the Gunners’ attacking play.

He is a fluent dribbler, as he glides past opposing defenders. He is quick, is capable of ducking inside or sliding around the outside, and boasts a decent delivery when in position. Moreover, he turns 22 in September and still has plenty of room to grow and develop.

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There will be competition for his signature and Wenger may have to pay more than he would like for a player who is garnering interest across the continent. However, he brings a key and intriguing trait that Wenger knows is desperately missing from his side: directness, and because of that, he may just splash the cash.