After Leroy Sane, Arsenal must sign ‘special’ £50m star as Martin Odegaard transfer replacement

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Arsenal have been heavily linked with former Manchester City winger Leroy Sane this week, with the Bayern Munich man likely to be available on a free transfer this summer.

Sane’s contract expires at the end of June, although staying at the Allianz remains a possibility, as the German club continue contract negotiations with him.

However, Bayern are eager to shift one of their wide forwards in the upcoming transfer window, and the 29-year-old is one of the primary candidates, given his age.

Arsenal fans aren’t enthused about the possible signing of Sane, although his addition could help the Gunners save funds to invest in other areas of the squad.

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Arsenal can sign Xavi Simons if they complete Leroy Sane deal

Arsenal have a lot to do this summer, with a striker, a winger, a midfielder, a defender and a back-up goalkeeper all required.

The midfield addition has essentially been secured, as Martin Zubimendi is set to sign for Arsenal for £51 million.

However, many feel the Gunners also need to add another creative midfielder to Mikel Arteta’s ranks, to provide Martin Odegaard with some much-needed cover and competition.

Ordinarily, adding another playmaker might not be financially plausible, but the prospective signing of Sane could allow the Gunners to make this happen.

Sane scored 13 goals and provided five assists in all competitions last season, showing that he’s still capable of producing at a high level.

The fear amongst many Gunners fans is that signing the ex-City star would be repeating the Raheem Sterling mistake, but Sane hasn’t shown the signs of decline that his former teammate did.

Regardless, Arsenal would be better off as an attacking unit with Sane on a free and an additional creative midfielder.

Xavi Simons has been loosely linked with Arsenal, and the Dutchman fits the bill.

An effective passer, ball carrier and a goal threat, Simons can play with or instead of Odegaard in midfield, but could also make the left-wing role his own if Sane proves not to be quite at the level.

Rumoured to be available for just £50 million, the Gunners can surely sanction the addition of the Dutchman, alongside Sane.

How does Xavi Simons compare to Martin Odegaard?

Zubimendi is likely to partner Declan Rice and Odegaard in Arsenal’s midfield in most games, although adding Simons into that mix gives the Gunners a multitude of different and exciting potential midfield combinations.

Gabriel Martinelli and Sane would most likely be competing for the left-wing role in this scenario, although Simons would also play significant minutes in this position.

All of a sudden, Arsenal have great depth across the midfield and forward line after adding two players to Arteta’s ensemble worth a combined £50 million.

As for Simons as a potential replacement for Odegaard, it would certainly be a stylistic change for Arsenal.

As shown by the data, Simons is a better dribbler, opting to carry the ball and get more frequent shots off than his Norwegian counterpart.

However, Odegaard is a much better passer, and helps facilitate Arsenal’s build-up by dropping deeper to progress the ball.

Whether Simons would be capable of doing this is unclear, but Arteta would have the option of picking which set of attributes is better suited to specific opposition on a week-to-week basis.

Simons has been described as ‘special’ by Arsenal legend Alan Smith, and would certainly be an exciting signing for the Gunners.