Arsenal: Even Jeff Reine-Adelaide has done what Alex Iwobi should

Jeff Reine-Adelaide has transformed himself from a direct winger into a two-way central midfielder. It is precisely what Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi should do.

Jeff Reine-Adelaide left Arsenal 18 months ago, initially on a six-month loan as he completed his recovery from injury and then on a permanent basis six months later. He was once considered one of the brightest young talents coming through the system, but very quickly fell out of the picture.

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He moved to French Ligue 1 side Angers SCO. During his past 18 months with Angers, the winger has reinvented himself, moving from a direct, speedy, dribbling attacker to a two-way, dictating central midfielder tasked with commanding games through controlled and accurate dominance of the ball.

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Reine-Adelaide spoke this week with Goal.com about the decision to leave the Gunners. He said that it was Unai Emery’s decision, with Arsene Wenger’s successor stating that first-team opportunities would be few and far between and that he could leave the club. In the same interview, Reine-Adelaide spoke about how his game has changed over the past year:

"“My season had started well, then I had a hole. I bounced back and today I am rewarded for my work. I invested a lot and it is the reward of a beautiful season. This [central midfield] is clearly the position I feel best. I started there when I was younger. After, I was on the wings, but for me, it is where I can most exploit my qualities best. I am a ball player and in the middle, it is we who dictate the game. We must do it wisely, helping our partners. We must defend as well. I especially like to command the tempo. I look a lot at professional players in this position, and some inspire me a lot.”"

He has now been called up to the French U21 squad for the summer’s Under 21 European Championships off the back of 34 league stars last season, showing great awareness and skill at the heart of the Angers midfield. It seems as though his exit could come back to haunt to Arsenal.

But his move from wide attacker to central midfielder is one that I feel another already at the Emirates should undertake. Alex Iwobi has many of the necessary skills to flourish in a deeper, central area. Excellent feet with a consistent first touch, deceptive speed and strength to protect the ball and beat opposing defenders, terrific passing in deeper areas without the end product, and a rounded understanding of the game, with good positional sense and superb vision.

Very much like Moussa Dembele and Moussa Sissoko at Spurs or Georginio Wijnaldum at Liverpool, and now even Reine-Adelaide, Iwobi, who, like those players, has struggled with his goals and assists numbers, could be the ideal, two-way central midfielder, a complete player who impacts every phase of the game without having to play too significant role in either of the penalty areas, which is where he is at his weakest.

I would not have pegged Reine-Adelaide for a central midfield role. But per all reports, he is shining in this new position. Iwobi, I feel, has very much the same kind of skill set. Hopefully he will be given the chance to try his hand at the new role.