The Gunners find themselves three points clear of Manchester City in fourth place but one point behind the current leaders, Liverpool.
One of the major differences between Mikel Arteta's team last season and this season is the absence of Swiss international Granit Xhaka.
granit-xhaka-arsenal-transfer-manchester-city-yaya-toure-arteta
Kai Havertz has taken the left-eight role vacated by the rehabilitated midfielder but hasn't entirely managed to make it his own despite a recent run of good form.
However, the latest player to be linked with a move to the Emirates could be the perfect fit to carry the mantle Xhaka put down in the summer, Florian Wirtz.
Arsenal transfer news - Florian Wirtz
According to TeamTalk, Arsenal are one of several clubs interested in Bayer Leverkusen's incredibly talented youngster, Wirtz.
The German international has scored four goals and provided five assists in just 13 starts for Xabi Alonso's title chasers this season. He has done even better in the Europa League, scoring two goals and providing four assists, per WhoScored.
This isn't new, however, as the 20-year-old has been influencing games for a few years now, registering ten Bundesliga goal involvements for the first time back in the 2020/21 season.
florian-wirtz-newcastle-transfer-news-opinion-premier-league
Unsurprisingly, with consistent performances such as this, the German maestro has a hefty price tag attached to him, with Sky Sports Germany reporting that it would take an offer of €120m - about £103m - to tempt Leverkusen into selling their star performer.
However, for a player described as "pure quality" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, it might just be worth it for Arsenal, especially if he can take up the left-eight role.
How Florian Wirtz compares to Granit Xhaka
Now, as things stand, the 20-year-old "generational talent", as dubbed by Apple Sports executive Cristian Nyari, plays most of his football either as an attacking midfielder, a second striker, or even as a left-winger. Still, some elements of his game suggest he could drop back a bit and help in a defensive manner as well.
This becomes more evident when you compare his current underlying numbers to those of Xhaka's from last season, as that is the man he could replace.
Surprisingly, the young German actually beats his current teammate in several key defensive attributes, such as blocking passes, ball recoveries and tackles in the defensive third.
0 Comments