Arsenal: Marc Roca and Carlos Soler require the same thing

Arsenal is now linked to two underwhelming La Liga midfielders, but no matter what we think of them, they both require the exact same thing.

Arsenal‘s midfield is a point of concern that needs to be solidified before it becomes a real problem. With Dani Ceballos likely costing more than we can afford and other such options running the bill up, not to mention the potential need for two midfielders, not just one, the Gunners have turned to two fairly underwhelming names—Carlos Soler and Marc Roca.

While Soler costs just about as much as Ceballos, Roca flies even further under the radar as a standout performer on relegation-bound Espanyol. Neither midfielder looks like the exact midfielder that we need, not when names like Thomas Partey are linked.

Both midfielders are undersized, have modest defensive numbers, tiny offensive numbers, and look kind of like an average midfielder. Both are 23 and thus even slightly older than Ceballos.

If you’re not getting excited about them, you’re not alone. They each require one specific thing to be excited about—trust in Mikel Arteta and Raul Sanllehi.

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That’s something I have to keep reminding myself to have. This isn’t like when Arsene Wenger was in charge of transfers and it would be a total crapshoot when he signed someone new. This is a serious brain trust that hasn’t made a single bad transfer yet. They have stocked up on crucial pieces of the squad and acclimated them into the team to be rather important.

Both Roca and Soler are reportedly Arteta targets, primarily, but in order to secure the move, Arteta would have to make the case to Sanllehi, who wouldn’t be a stranger by any means to the two, as he spent the last decade at Barcelona.

That’s a grueling test to have to pass before even making the move. Both Arteta and Sanllehi, two fantastic footballing minds, have to approve of them and agree to spend money on them and see a place in the squad for them. No matter how underwhelming the names and numbers, anyone who can pass through that test deserves some kind of faith.

So if the situation does come to pass that Roca and/or Soler join the club, don’t be a pessimistic Polly. Not until we see them on the pitch. If Arteta and Sanllehi both agree that they have a part to play, then I’ll believe it too. They’ve earned that trust.