Arsenal: Top 3 statistical Lucas Torreira replacements

2. Denis Zakaria

Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder, Denis Zakaria, stands at 6-foot-3, is a powerful and imposing presence, but crucially offers skill and progression with the ball as well as a physically dominant defensive approach.

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His 4.12 progressive passes per 90 are superior to both Torreira and Ndidi. He also plays 2.87 passes into the final third per 90 and a very healthy 0.56 passes into the penalty area per 90. For a primarily defensive-minded player, these are encouraging numbers.

Zakaria also carries the ball very well. He completes almost 75% of his 2.92 attempts per 90, almost three times the number of Ndidi’s attempts, and he carries the ball a progressive distance of 151.1 yards per 90, two-and-a-half times further than Ndidi.

But do not think that the 23-year-old is thereby poor defensively. He is a physical, strong, dominating presence at the base of a vibrant and exciting Monchengladbach midfield. His defensive work provides the foundation for the likes of Marcus Thuram, Breel Embolo, Patrick Hermann and Alassane Plea to bound forward in a vicious counter-attacking approach.

His 3.29 successful tackles per 90 minutes rank fourth in the Bundesliga. His 1.81 interceptions per 90 rank eighth in the Bundesliga. He uses his frame superbly and then instigates attacks from deep, either by carrying the ball powerfully and explosively or through sliding passes into wide and attacking spaces.

He is not an elite distributor, but he is the all-action, physical, athletic, and ball-carrying presence that Arteta might want to unlock a sometimes slow and stale midfield, in and out of possession.