Arsenal: No debate between Riyad Mahrez and Ross Barkley

With Arsenal’s move for Thomas Lemar seemingly in tatters, two players, Ross Barkley and Riyad Mahrez, have emerged as possible alternatives. There really is no debate about which would be the better avenue to pursue.

Arsenal’s pursuit of Thomas Lemar is not going well. After making three separate bids, all of which have been rather emphatically rejected, Monaco Vice-President Vadim Vasilyev publicly insisted that Lemar would stay with the French club beyond this summer thanks to the exodus of talent that they have had to endure thus far.

It is a more than fair stance to take. Lemar is their player. They can do as they please. And Arsenal and Arsene Wenger must begin to turn to their contingency plans if they feel that Lemar is unreachable. Now, that does not mean that patience should not be shown as they wait for an opportunity to make another move arises. But it does mean that alternative options should begin to be explored.

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Two names that have been touted as possible options for the Gunners to explore are Riyad Mahrez and Ross Barkley. Both have proven their qualities in the Premier League, both have declared their desire to leave their respective clubs this summer and both could be available for cheaper than Lemar would cost. But according to former Arsenal striker Alan Smith, when speaking to TalkSport, there is only one that Wenger should be pursuing:

"“I’d say [Wenger should go after] Mahrez more than Barkley. He’s more of a match winner and a more mature player. I’ve just come back from Hong Kong watching Liverpool and Leicester in the Asia Trophy, and Mahrez looked sharp. Whether he’s playing for a move, putting himself in the shop window, I don’t know. He’s definitely a Champions League player, although I know Arsenal aren’t in that competition this season!”"

And I agree with Smith wholeheartedly. In fact, I don’t think there’s even a debate. Barkley is a talented player with some major flaws. While he is technically excellent, his decision making is wayward and naive, his maturity is painfully absent and he is worryingly inconsistent.

Meanwhile, Mahrez is a game-changer. He is an instigator, a starter, an experimenter. He is ruthlessly smooth when dribbling with the ball, gliding and weaving his way in between defenders. His end product is dangerous, he is a good finisher and his movement is subtle and intelligent.

But more than sheer ability, Mahrez is more the type of player that is needed. Arsenal do not simply need another creative, probing, attacking midfielder. They need someone who can commit defenders to challenges, someone who can beat their opposite number, someone who is searingly quick, someone who can get to the byline and whip a low ball across the six-yard box. That player is Mahrez, not Barkley.

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While Lemar may still be Wenger’s number one choice, and justifiably so, if he is forced to look elsewhere, there are few players that offer the same attacking potency as Mahrez. And between him and Barkley, there really isn’t a debate.

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