Arsenal: Leon Goretzka is the “Arsenal Way” solution

Arsenal will be eyeing up solutions for their midfield conundrum, but no one fits their billing quite like Leon Goretzka, who is everything they could want.

There aren’t many causes I support more strongly than the cause of bringing Leon Goretzka to Arsenal. The Gunners have been linked with the young German for sometime, but as has recently been the case with dealing with Schalke, sometimes you just have to wait for the contract to wind down before you make your move.

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Just ask Sead Kolasinac, who made the exact same move that Goretzka will make when he moves to the Emirates in the summer of 2018.

Given the high-pressure that Arsene Wenger and his new all-star transfer team will be under to find replacements for Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil that aren’t just midfield versions of Yaya Sanogo, Goretzka may well be the best possible option.

Not just because he is free. If he were to cost 50, 60, even £70m, I’d still say absolutely, positively, 100% lock him up. Because it’s not very often that you come across a player who is not just extremely talented, but also fits the club philosophy of the past decade to a T.

It’s no secret that this Arsenal midfield is going to hit a serious renovation in the coming months, and not just from an attacking standpoint. It’s also crucial to locate a solution for Granit Xhaka. He is such a valuable asset to the club, he just needs to be better set up.

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As such, Leon Goretzka is the ideal answer for that as well. Goretzka defends like a defensive midfielder, he attacks like an attacking midfielder, he has remarkable pace and he is just 22 years old. He is a goal scorer, a creator, an enforcer and an engine, all rolled into one.

Plus, as far as how he fits the Arsenal way, he is young, he is free, he is versatile. Doesn’t get much more “Arsenal” than that.

As far as how he would suit up in the midfield, ideally, I’d throw him and Aaron Ramsey forward to cover for Alexis and Ozil departing. Then you nab a defensive midfielder to slip alongside Xhaka and suddenly you have one of the sturdiest midfields in the game.

Or, if you’re more of the opinion – as am I – that perhaps we need Nabil Fekir, then you stick Ramsey next to Fekir and let Goretzka sit in next to Xhaka. Goretzka is quite similar to Ramsey, but he does have more defensive inclinations, despite the Welshman’s improvements this year.

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It’s a move that fixes everything. And that’s not being dramatic at all. I have said before and I will say again, if we were to only get Goretzka in the summer (which we won’t, we will get more), I’d still shrug and nod and say we nailed it.