Arsenal: One dream target to sign from every Premier League club

Southampton

One of Arsenal’s primary needs is a pressure-releasing central midfielder, someone who can receive the ball under pressure, spin into space, and then play forward, progressive passes to exploit the now exposed opposition defence because of the high press. In reality, they have not had this type of player since Santi Cazorla, and they have been paying for it ever since.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could be that player. He has the combination of size and skill to protect the ball in deep areas, very much like Moussa Dembele did so brilliantly for Spurs, but then possesses the range of passing and vision to move play forward, either through ball carries or dangerous, line-splitting passes.

Hojbjerg has been dispossessed only two times per game this season, averages a pass completion rate of just under 80%, which is relatively high for a transition-based team like Southampton, and combines this with 2.4 tackles per game, 1.5 interceptions per game, and 1.7 clearances per game. He is a very capable deep-lying midfielder, will turn 25 this summer, and has just one year remaining on his contract. For a cheap solution, you will not find much better.