Arsenal: Thomas Muller the perfect unlikely heist

Thomas Muller is unsettled after being dropped from the Bayern Munich side and the Mirror are reporting that Arsenal are one of a number of interested clubs. The German would be the perfect, and yet unlikely, heist.

Thomas Muller is an unsettled man. Having grown up in the Bayer Munich youth system, he was seen as the archetypal German hero. At heart of the national side’s inexorable success, the driving force of the greatest club in German footballing history, having done so after graduating from the academy, rather than costing extortionate amounts to buy from some strange foreign place or other, and playing with a style that exemplifies the working man, Muller is adored.

Well, he’s adored by most. Carlo Ancelotti, the current Munich manager, taking over from Pep Guardiola, does not share the same reverence for Muller. In fact, Muller has seen his role and standing in the squad relentlessly reduce during Ancelotti’s reign, so much so, that he has played 90 minutes just once in Bayern’s four games so far this season.

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Last season, Muller played 2,728 minutes in the Bundesliga and Champions League. Only once since the 2009/10 season has he played less than a combined 3,000 minutes in the two competitions, in the 2013/14 season where he played 2,883 minutes.

There have also been rumours of a rift between Muller and manager. Muller is, understandably, unhappy at losing his first-team role; Ancelotti is upset with Muller’s form, which has undoubtedly tailed off in the past 12 months or so. However, an unsettled player of such pedigree and calibre, over an extended career, attracts interest from across the continent. And per a report in The Mirror, one of the teams pondering the possibility of pursuing Muller in January is Arsenal.

Muller turns 28 this season and is nearing the latter stages of his prime. He has not played at his best for some time, his goal total dropping to 5 last season after scoring 20 the year before and maintaining a double figure tally for all but one season since 2009.

However, that should not Arsenal off making a move. Not only is Muller an outstanding player with great experience and accomplishments, but he plays in a style that has been severely lacking from the Gunners play. He is not as technically gifted as his statistics may suggest; he relies on heart and effort and intelligence and nous and anticipation and determination, all qualities that Arsene Wenger has overlooked in the building of his squad.

In addition, his versatility would be welcome in any squad, with the ability to play across the front line, behind the striker and even as the centre-forward if desperate. His goalscoring knack is exceptional, his athleticism and combination of stature, strength and deceptive speed make him a consistent attacking threat, and he already has a rapport with Mesut Ozil from their success with the national team.

Now, for all my gushing of Muller’s ability and the influence that I believe he would have on any team, there is almost no part of me that believes Arsenal will actually sign him. He may be unsettled, he may want a move away and Wenger may even be interested in him. But the price, the competition and the profile makes me believe very little of the report.

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Having said that, I thought the exact same with Ozil. Muller would be a remarkable heist, nigh on perfect, however unlikely it may be.

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