Arsenal: Ander Herrera, at the very least, intriguing

Ander Herrera’s Manchester United contract will expire this summer. Arsenal have been named as possible suitors. He is, at the very least, an intriguing prospect that should be explored.

As Arsenal continue to retool what was a rather lacklustre and overpriced squad, it is clear that it will take some extremely frugal and under-the-radar signings to fill out the team. There are too many positions to fill and not enough resources to invest heavily for the Gunners to be extravagant in their spending.

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Instead, they must look for deals like they secured last summer. Bernd Leno and Sokratis establishing themselves as key starters for less than £20 million; Lucas Torreira boasting world-class potential at just £26 million; Matteo Guendouzi shining for just £7 million. These more economically friendly deals are the ones that the club will now have to master.

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And there is one player that could be available for nothing this summer that would seriously bolster the central midfield positions, particularly with the departure of Aaron Ramsey to Juventus. Ander Herrera could be set to leave Manchester United when his contract expires this summer, with him and the club still reportedly some distance apart regarding terms for a potential new contract.

Now, Herrera may not sound like a particularly flashy signing. A 29-year-old who has been a rotational player at best in a rather underwhelming Manchester United team for many years does not seem like the wisest acquisition in the world. And if looking at the very bare facts, I would tend to agree with you. It isn’t the most inspiring move. But it might be a sensible one.

It is undoubted that Arsenal need to bolster the central midfield areas. Ramsey is leaving, Mohamed Elneny is also set to depart, while Granit Xhaka is still limited as a regular starter and could be improved upon. There is some reason to spend at the position. But there probably isn’t enough to prioritise central midfield over the likes of centre-back, winger and left-back.

That leaves Raul Sanllehi in a tricky situation: wanting to invest in the midfield but either having very little resource to do so or signing a player at the expense of a needier position. And that is why the Herrera deal is worth exploring. Not only would it provide some crucial depth in the midfield, but it would do so at an extremely affordable package. There would be his wages and a signing-on bonus to pay, and that’s it.

And although Herrera is not the world star that fans tend to dream about at this time of the year, he is still an extremely useful player. Wonderfully dogged and industrious, he allies sharp interplay in possession with a surprising bite in the tackle, making him the ideal box-to-box midfielder. Whether he would be a starter at the Emirates, I am not so sure, but he could certainly provide competition for Xhaka and Guendouzi alongside Torreira.

At the very least, Herrera is an intriguing prospect that Arsenal should explore. Whether he is anything more than that, though, I am not so sure. And that will determine whether he is worth an investment or not. Nevertheless, there is no harm in taking a look, right?