Arsenal: 3 midfield transfer targets regardless of Partey blow

2. Renato Sanches – Lille

With Xhaka in the side, the mobility of the midfield drops to dangerously low levels with Partey usually offsetting this drawback, creating a fairly balanced midfield pairing.

Following his injury suffered against Chelsea, however, presence and ability getting around the pitch are sorely missed. Renato Sanches would provide this mobility, along with other much-needed qualities, and has scope to play in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1. There are numerous options with Partey, too.

The Portuguese international would provide a truly two-way midfield option. Extremely press-resistant, Sanches possesses the divine technical skill and dribbling style of a winger with the intelligence, passing ability and nous of a midfielder.

His skillset makes him versatile, allowing him to pop up in dangerous positions all around the pitch, putting stress on defenses who enjoy sitting back and setting up on the edge of their box. The ease with which he carries the ball and shimmies past challenges, coupled with the vision to produce in the final third is outstanding. Emile Smith Rowe brings the same threat.

While more expensive – valued at around £30m – Sanches would certainly be worth the money so long as his troubling injury record can be put behind him. This is a genuine concern. Some faint and likely not reliable reports out of Italy mention Arsenal’s interest.

Like Alvarez though, he is still only 23 and would provide a more attack-minded option to central midfield.