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Arsenal: Lining up replacements for a midfield in turmoil

By Mac Johnson

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 28: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal in action during the Emirates Cup match between Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais at the Emirates Stadium on July 28, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 28: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal in action during the Emirates Cup match between Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais at the Emirates Stadium on July 28, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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Come July, Arsenal’s midfield will be an unholy mess. With a host of players guaranteed to leave, and a few more vying for an exit, we will have to find replacements before next season. Here are some long-term replacements which would set our squad up for a brilliant future under Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal’s midfield is in an odd place at the moment. We have a trio which works very well together: an in-form Lucas Torreira screening the back four, partnered by a Granit Xhaka who has looked mobile and almost sprightly under the tutelage of Mikel Arteta, completed by a rejuvenated Mesut Özil, who is playing the best football of his Arsenal career. However, this midfield trio will absolutely not last past the end of the season.

Granit Xhaka has already confirmed terms with Hertha Berlin, to the tune of around $25 million. He will stay until the end of the season, but likely no longer. Mesut Özil, a mercurial figure, is the wrong side of thirty, and has been the subject of a rumored move to Besitkas for years now, a move that looks more and more likely to succeed at the end of the season.

Lucas Torreira has been repeatedly linked with a move back to Italy, with Milan the primary benefactor. While I think it unlikely that the move will go through, having a plan to replace him is not a bad idea.

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And those are just the starters. Dani Ceballos returns to Real Madrid at the end of the season, and for most of his Arsenal tenure, journalists have had a tug-of-war over whether he wants to make the Arsenal move permanent, or never come back again. Ainsley Maitland-Niles may have found a permanent home at right back.

Emile Smith-Rowe and Joe Willock have shown flashes of brilliance, but are mostly undeveloped, and need more time. Matteo Guendouzi has links to PSG, and will likely attract attention from big clubs as his journey to the top continues. He was a finalist for the Golden Boy award, and will continue to grow and improve the more he plays.

Let’s take this player by player, starting with the Uruguayan.

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