The Gunners are desperate for midfield support but who is the best?
Following an influx of injuries and an opening day defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has headed quickly to the transfer market.
In the last 24 hours the Gunners have been linked with Yohan Cabaye of Newcastle United, Sevilla’s Geoffrey Kondogbia and former Manchester United youngster Paul Pogba – now at Juventus.
Therefore fanatix decided to analyse the three midfielders and work out who would be the best buy for the north London club.
Yohan Cabaye
Club: Newcastle United.
Age: 27.
Likely cost: £20m.
Of the trio Cabaye has the most Premier League experience by far, having had two contrasting seasons at Newcastle that saw the club finish fifth in the Frenchman’s debut year and 16th last term.
The midfielder is also the oldest of the three but is an established international footballer for France and has plenty of playing time in both England and the player’s home country.
However, Cabaye is a midfielder who likes to get forward and with Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky already at the club that area is covered, it’s defensive grit that Arsenal need.
Suitability: 5/10.
Geoffrey Kondogbia
Club: Sevilla.
Age: 20.
Likely cost: £17m.
Kondogbia is young and French and therefore ticks all the boxes for Wenger, but the powerful midfielder is also defensively minded and not frightened of a physical battle.
Even when the Gunners were dominating English football it was said the side lacked physicality and the France international could be just what is needed at the Emirates Stadium.
An impressive spell with Lens earned the midfielder a £3.5m switch to Sevilla 12 months ago, where despite being so young Kondogbia was a first team regular and was also instrumental in the France under-20 side’s World Cup triumph this summer.
Suitability: 8/10.
Paul Pogba
Club: Juventus.
Age: 20.
Likely cost: £20m.
Pogba is one of those interesting anomalies that occasionally happens at Old Trafford when the player is seemingly average before they move away from the Premier League – Gerard Pique is another case in point.
Juve manager Antonio Conte clearly saw something in the youngster however and convinced the Frenchman to make the switch to Turin in the summer of 2012.
Since then the midfielder has helped La Bianconeri to another Serie A title and Pogba has earned vital experience in the Champions League.
Suitability: 7/10.
COMMENTS