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Arsenal: 3 overlooked Bundesliga targets to keep an eye on

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - MARCH 07: Moussa Diaby of Leverkusen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena on March 7, 2020 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Jörg Schüler/Getty Images)
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - MARCH 07: Moussa Diaby of Leverkusen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena on March 7, 2020 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Jörg Schüler/Getty Images) /
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LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – MARCH 07: Moussa Diaby of Leverkusen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena on March 7, 2020 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Jörg Schüler/Getty Images)
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – MARCH 07: Moussa Diaby of Leverkusen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena on March 7, 2020 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Jörg Schüler/Getty Images) /

This weekend, the Bundesliga resumed play to conclude the season. While many eyes were drawn to Kai Havertz and Dayot Upamecano, here are three overlooked potential Arsenal targets to keep an eye on.

The Bundesliga resumed play over the weekend. Kai Havertz stole the headlines on Monday, while Erling Haaland, Alphonso Davies, and Borussia Monchengladbach all had excellent first weekends back in action. Arsenal have been linked with a vast array of Bundesliga targets in recent weeks, from Dayot Upamecano to Havertz himself. But are there any less-talked-about, overlooked options that fans should be keeping an eye on in the coming weeks?

Here are three candidates.

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – MARCH 12: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Martin Hinteregger of Eintracht Frankfurt Looks on during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Basel at Commerzbank Arena on March 12, 2020 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The match is played behind closed doors as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – MARCH 12: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Martin Hinteregger of Eintracht Frankfurt Looks on during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Basel at Commerzbank Arena on March 12, 2020 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The match is played behind closed doors as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) /

3. Martin Hinteregger

Mikel Arteta has made it clear that he wants a left-footed centre-back. It is why Arsenal signed Pablo Mari on loan in January. The Spaniard adds depth to a position that has been ravaged by injuries, but he also provided the only left-footed option, something that Arteta is keen to make use of. In his eyes, it aids playing out from the back and speeds up the distribution from deep.

Mari has never played at the Premier League before. He has only played two games for Arsenal. Whether he is a long-term solution remains to be seen. Martin Hinteregger, however, offers the best of both worlds: a 27-year-old, consistent starter in a top-five European league, who is left-footed, plays in a high-pressing system at Eintracht Frankfurt, and is very comfortable in possession.

It is his passing that is most impressive. Prior to the restart of the Bundesliga, Hinteregger completed 76.4%. Those passes progressed play by 408.3 yards per 90 minutes. Over a third were long passes (more than 25 yards) and he completed 64.4% of these. He played 3.73 passes into the final third per 90 and 6.27 progressive passes per 90. Hinteregger is certainly one to watch over the coming weeks.

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