Arsenal: Arda Turan the perfect stop gap but nothing more

Arda Turan is reportedly nearing a Barcelona exit with Arsenal again being linked. The Turkish international, though, while the perfect one, is nothing more than a stop gap for the soon-to-be-departing Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

As soon as transfer deadline passed, it was clear that Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil were nearing an Arsenal departure. Arsene Wenger, to his credit, had protested, much to the doubt of everyone else, that the pair would stay. But he also admitted that the club would face an uphill task to keep them beyond the end of the season. Now in October, that seems even truer.

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Since the start of the season, there has been little mention of a contract offer impending for either of the pair, and, given an injury to Ozil, some suspect body language on the part of Alexis Sanchez, and a growing number of questions from within the media, the prevailing thought seems to be that they will leave the club either in January or at the end of their contracts next summer.

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In whatever scenario, Arsenal will have to replace them. That is difficult enough in normal circumstances. Sanchez accounted for a direct involvement in 34 Premier League goals last season (24 goals and 10 assists), while Ozil accounted for 17 (eight goals and nine assists), and only Christian Eriksen completed more key passes per game than the German. That attacking productivity and potency is not easy to replicate.

And in a market as volatile, demanding, and unpredictable as the current one, Arsenal’s task of finding a cost-effective replacement is only made even more difficult. As such, it may be the case that they choose to turn to a stop-gap type alternative, a player to see them through in the short-term to provide time to find and acquire a more permanent target. It is far from the best solution to the problem. But it is a solution, nonetheless.

And one man who has surfaced as an extremely viable option is Arda Turan. The unwanted Barcelona man, who has found life tough going since his switch from Atletico Madrid, is reportedly yearning for a move to a club where he can enjoy regular, first-team football.

As an experienced and accomplished attacking midfielder, with a soft first touch, sharp dribbling skills, and a creative ingenuity in the final third, he would provide Arsenal with a player who could do most of the things that a Sanchez or Ozil could. Now, that would not serve sufficiently if he was the only signing made to replace their departing. But as a short-term plug, he may not be the worst option to consider.

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Turan would cost far from an arm and leg to prise away from Barcelona, even in the modern market, he would likely welcome a move to a team where he would be the entrenched starter, and he has the understanding and the ability to slot in, hopefully, without too much trouble. Is he the ideal solution to the Sanchez/Ozil conundrum? No. Far from it. But he might offer a little help, and in being realistic, that may the best course of action.