Arsenal’s cut-price Corentin Tolisso gamble from Bayern Munich

Arsenal Concerns With Corentin Tolisso

There is no glossing over his injury record. It’s enough to put off most of Europe, hence why so few of the sides in the top five divisions have been linked with his signature.

Everything ranging from ankle surgery and knee problems to calf strains and muscle soreness have limited his impact at the Allianz Arena, a true shame for someone who arrived with the wind in his sails and adapted to German football efficiently upon his signing.

Suffering these injuries at an early stage of his career has prevented him from building a head of steam, stalling his overall development and integration in Germany. Age-wise, Arsenal may want someone younger than Tolisso, who will be 27 come the summer, which is why the likes of Yves Bissouma hold greater appeal even beyond is injury record.

https://twitter.com/Bundesliga_EN/status/1361419402722222080

Some concerns have been raised over his discipline, as while he’s only started one of the previous six Bundesliga matches, two of those absences were due to him being found guilty of breaching COVID-19 restrictions to get a tattoo. Sounds familiar, but hardly much to shout about.

Then, on the occasions he has had the chance to prove his worth, the result has been fairly disappointing. How much of that is down to being in the shadow of his fellow outstanding midfield teammates and not being presented with a consecutive run of games must be considered.

In Arsenal’s case they would be looking for a teammate to partner Partey, and with both being right-footed, balancing issues could emerge. Tolisso is not a No. 6 who sits all game, but someone who likes to push up behind the creative midfielder and use his exemplary lofted pass to great effect. Box-to-box.

Given the symmetry that has come from Granit Xhaka being to the left of Partey and using his favoured foot, that could be disrupted.

However, Arsenal need depth in that department. Players challenging for a starting berth and who can contributed across a whole season. Right now, Mohamed Elneny is behind Xhaka in the pecking order and there is no replacement for Partey. That says it all.