Arsenal: Top 3 positions of need this summer

2. Central Midfield

Bar young Joe Willock, who looks a little raw and unprepared for first-team football, Dani Ceballos is Arsenal’s only ball-carrier in central midfield. And even in his case, his athleticism is a little limiting at times and he struggles to burst into space ahead of him. The Spaniard will return to Real Madrid at the end of his loan deal at the end of the season, leaving the central midfield with a rather large hole.

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Lucas Torreira is excellent defensively, with terrific range, quickness and athleticism, while Granit Xhaka is a capable passer but is too cumbersome to drive forwards. Matteo Guendouzi is the most likely to fulfil this role, but his positional looseness has seen him drop out of the starting XI. He is still very talented and should be invested in as a future starter, but relying on him on a weekly basis, at this point, is risky, to say the least.

And then there is Mesut Ozil, a neat and tidy number 10 who is a fine passer and knitter together of play but lacks dynamism of years past and now no longer provides goals and assists, the latter of which his game revolved around.

Arsenal’s midfield is a problem, from those that cannot carry the ball from deep to a more advanced catalyst who can create and score goals. A do-it-all number eight would help no end, but you could make an argument that the Gunners need two midfielders if they are to challenge once again.