Arsenal: Riyad Mahrez a commitment to the Mesut Ozil way

Arsenal’s link to Riyad Mahrez is exciting, but committing to the Algerian is committing to the style that Mesut Ozil has forged at the Emirates.

Arsenal’s transfer business is going to be the talk of the month, and Arsene Wenger is even more dedicated than ever to not give away too much as far as his plans for the January window. Even with how little we know, Riyad Mahrez is a known target.

He has been trying to get out of Leicester City for quite some time and the Gunners have been a rumored landing spot for just as long.

That is continuing now more than ever, with the pending future of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. Mahrez conveniently plays the very positions that our two superstars play, as he is capable of playing wide or tucked in behind the striker.

It’s a worthy investment. Mahrez is proving his worth in his best form since the first half of his PFA Award-winning 2015/16 season.

However, committing to Mahrez, now just 26 years old, is running the risk of committing to the same type of attack that the Gunners currently run.

It’s no secret that the attack of Arsenal, particularly on the counter, lacks a good deal of speed. With Mesut Ozil leading counters, it is bound to stall behind the German’s lack of pace.

Mahrez is no speed merchant himself, but more of a facilitator that survives on timing his runs and feeding faster attackers around him. As of right now, the Gunners do not have those faster options. Alexandre Lacazette’s timing is pristine, but he still isn’t being used to his full potential.

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No matter who Mahrez is called to replace, Ozil or Alexis, the commitment is the same. And, if he is called on to replace the Chilean, then speed is further sacrificed.

That’s not to say this is a horrible decision. Not by any means. Mahrez has tremendous abilities to facilitate the counters (like Ozil), create in possession-heavy matches and score from numerous positions. But the frustrations of the current attack might rare their ugly head with Mahrez as well. That is, barring some other additions.

There are enough reasons to believe that Mahrez is a solid option and a positive commitment. The fact that he can carry on what we’ve been building isn’t a bad thing. It’s not that Alexis and Ozil have failed us, it’s just that they haven’t had enough around them. Mahrez would. He has Lacazette, he has a midfield that is potentially getting even better. Maybe continuing where we left off is the best option.

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And he is Premier League proven, so Wenger would have no reason to protect him.

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