Premier League giants Asen have made a significant comeback in recent seasons, having finished runners-up in the Premier League for two consecutive seasons and are considered the most likely team to challenge Manchester City's dominance. The Gunners are also in good financial position after repaying the loan, and the team's competitiveness has skyrocketed due to successive large signings.
In addition to bringing in a top-class centre-forward for Arsenal this summer, the recruitment of midfield is equally important.
Mikel Arteta is often used in a 433 formation, with Rice and Odegaard firmly positioned among the existing midfielders and are the absolute mainstay of the team, but the selection of another midfielder has not been satisfactory, and Arsenal are just one piece of the puzzle away from the perfect midfield.
31-year-old Thomas. Partey would be the best candidate at the back if fit, with his strength, movement, tackles and coverage all of Arsenal's much-needed needs. However, Thomas only made 16 appearances last season due to injury, and his attendance is not guaranteed based on his injury history and age.
There are already a number of Saudi teams chasing Thomas, and Arsenal's psychological price is to sell it for 20 million to 25 million euros.
The 33-year-old, who moved from Chelsea last winter, is an undeniable Italian midfielder with undoubted skill and passing ability, but his pace and frequency are slow, his ability to play against opponents is poor, and he is easy to target in the Premier League. So since arriving at Arsenal, Jorginho has been playing as a rotation player and can get the most out of some low-intensity games.
The 31-year-old will leave as a free agent when his contract expires. Vieira, Lokonga, Smith. Luo and others are mediocre and embarrassed, that is, they play a rotation in the FA Cup and the English League Cup. If there is a suitable offer, they will leave.
Therefore, Arsenal still need to bring in a midfielder who is capable of competing for the Premier League title. Originally, Guimaraes was the most suitable candidate, but his £85 million (€100 million release fee) price was too high, and Arsenal were unlikely to throw the entire budget of the entire transfer window on him alone, so there are four more pragmatic midfielders.
1. Onana (Everton)
Belgian midfielder Onana was born on August 16, 2001, from the Hoffenheim Academy in the Bundesliga, and later moved to Hamburg, Lille and other teams, and moved to Everton for 35 million euros in the summer window of 2022. He made 72 appearances for Everton in two seasons, scoring four goals and providing three assists.
Standing at 1.92 metres tall and weighing 76 kilograms, Onana is a strong counter-attacking player and defensively aggressive, but his technique is a little rough and he needs to improve in terms of organising attacks and combing midfield. However, Onana is still young and there is still a lot of room for improvement in the future.
Onana is currently worth 50 million euros, and teams such as Bayern, Barcelona, and Paris are also paying attention to Onana. Fabrizio Romano claims that Arsenal are eyeing Onana as an important part of their midfield signing list. Everton's price tag for Onana is between €55 million and €60 million.
2. Subimendi (Real Sociedad)
Born on 2 February 1999, Spanish midfielder Subimendi is a member of Real Sociedad's own academy and has entered the first team in 2020 and has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 177 appearances for Real Sociedad so far.
Subimendi is a typical Spanish midfielder, although he is not fast and not particularly strong, but he runs aggressively in the midfield, is good at dribbling and controlling the ball, has an outstanding view of the big picture and vision, and has a good ability to play the ball. Alonso is considered a template for his development.
Subimendi's contract with Real Sociedad expires in June 2027 and he is currently valued at €50 million. There is a 60 million euro release clause in his contract, and in addition to Arsenal, Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern and other teams are also interested in bringing in Subimendi.
3. Kimmich and De Jong
Kimmich, 29, and Frenkie de Jong, 27, are both long-established top midfielders, and both have a perfect fit for Arsenal with their technical abilities. Thereinto:
Kimmich's contract expires in June 2025 and he is valued at €50 million. Therefore, Bayern's request for Kimmich's transfer fee will not be too high, and Bayern can release him between 35 million and 40 million euros.
De Jong's contract expires in June 2026 and he is valued at 70 million euros. Due to De Jong's salary, he is not for sale at Barca, which has a price tag of around 80 million euros.
While the arrival of Kimmich and Frenkie de Jong will greatly boost Arsenal's midfield, both men have a common problem that salaries are too high. Kimmich's annual salary at Bayern is €20 million, while De Jong's is €24.8 million. Converted to the Premier League's usual weekly salary system, it is £330,000 and £400,000 respectively.
However, the current maximum salary in the Arsenal team is 280,000 pounds for Havertz, Rice and Odegaard are only 240,000 pounds, and the other main players Saka, Martinelli, Saliba and others are not more than 200,000 pounds. Therefore, once Kimmich or De Jong is introduced, in addition to the transfer fee, Arsenal is bound to break the current salary structure, laying hidden dangers for the next step of Saka, Martinelli, Saliba and other young players to renew their contracts.
Write at the end
On the whole, if Arsenal wants to build their own dynasty in the short term, De Jong or Kimmich is undoubtedly the best choice, Rice occupies the No. 6 position, in front of Odegaard + De Jong or Kimmich, this midfielder has a very high technical content and can challenge Manchester City's midfield.
If in the long run, Onana and Subimendi are more cost-effective, the salary requirements of the two will not be too high, within 150,000 pounds a week, and both are relatively young, Rice and Odegaard are also 25 years old, Arsenal will have no worries in the midfield for the next five years.
So who will Arsenal and Arteta choose in midfield this summer?