Arsenal: 10-step summer plan to solve team

Sign Houssem Aouar

If centre-back was Arsenal’s greatest need, central midfield does not come far behind. In fact, while the Gunners’ defensive issues can be aided massively by slotting one player into the heart of the back four and returning Saliba, Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin, central midfield needs a little more tweaking.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

It starts with finding a long-term replacement for Mesut Ozil, whether the German remains with the team or not. In searching for a successor, Arsenal must find a modern version of an attack-minded central midfielder, someone who can play in the number 10 position but might be better served starting from deeper, is more athletic, and can perform well in a box-to-box role, not just behind a lone centre-forward like Ozil. Houssem Aouar is that man.

The Lyon midfielder is only 21. In just under 2,000 Ligue 1 minutes this season, he scored three goals and added four assists. He maintains a pass completion rate north of 85% and completes three of his 5.1 dribbles attempts per 90. He also added one goal and three assists in only 445 Champions League minutes.

Aouar is the perfect half-eight. Pep Guardiola is a great admirer of his talents and he would be the ideal successor to Ozil as the creative cornerstone around which the central midfield is structured. Given his age and potential, he would be a superb marquee signing this summer should a suitable fee be possible. Aouar will likely require a club-record deal, potentially in the region of £60 million, but he would be more than worth it.