Arsenal are one of those sides who are brilliant to watch going forward and frustrating to look at while defending.
It is common knowledge that they need defensive reinforcement but given Arteta’s possession with flair style of play, what they need even more is a commanding central defensive midfielder.
Amongst the current lot – Lucas Torreira is good defensively but lacks sense of positioning or distribution to help the Gunners make the transition, Granit Xhaka is a liability, Matteo Guendozi is a prospect but needs time to learn and the others are academy product who need more time to develop quality.
So why is the focus on a central defensive midfielder instead of a centre back which they clearly need as well? There is no denying Arsenal need centre backs. However, under Arteta’s system, a central defensive midfielder is someone who will not only protect the advancing centre backs but also allow the play develop from the back thereby keeping control of the ball and in effect keeping control of the game.
Without the ball, he essentially becomes a third central back and the last line of defense – so he must be good with tackling, marking and heading – imagine a Fernandinho.
With the ball, he must know how to spread the defenders and read the game – effectively an achor or a orchestra director.
This role would be perfectly suited for a certain Declan Rice who certainly has the traits and more importantly has the personality to play for a big club. The youngster has been spreading waves in England and is ready for the next big stage.
Finally, another huge reason Arsenal should go for his coup is to thwart their direct rivals Chelsea from strengthening which could ultimately prove to be the difference for a top 4 spot come the end of the season!
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