Arsenal are still in the market for a midfielder this summer, with Mikel Arteta still keen to find a competent partner for Declan Rice.
It has been no secret that Arsenal have been looking to bolster their midfield since the departure of Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen in 2023.
The addition of Declan Rice that summer to the tune of £100 million certainly gave Arsenal some much-needed protection, however, the Englishman has not had a consistent enough partner.
An injury hit 2023/24 campaign for Thomas Partey saw Mikel Arteta try both Jorginho and Kai Havertz alongside Rice, however, it seems neither is set to appear there in the long term.
Arsenal kicked off their 2024/25 season at home to Wolves which saw a midfield trio of Rice, Partey, and Martin Odegaard which seems to be Arteta’s desired option for now, but after viewing title rivals Manchester City’s victory over Chelsea, did Arsenal miss the trick in failing to sign Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia?
Arsenal’s failed push for Romeo Lavia
Fans will be all too familiar with Lavia as he played a part in ending Arsenal’s title hopes in 2023 as Southampton drew 3-3 at the Emirates.
The 19-year-old at the time impressed as he battled against Partey, Fabio Viera, and Odegaard, coming out on top for most of the fixture.
As a Saint, he took absolutely every game in his stride, especially the big ones. Against Manchester City, legendary manager Pep Guardiola labelled him as ‘incredible’ [Via Man City’s Official Website], which led to high demand from some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.
That included the Gunners, who were reportedly interested in signing Lavia. But with hindsight in our favour, we know they were beaten to his signature by Chelsea.
Unfortunately for Lavia, the midfielder endured an injury-stricken season as he only managed one league appearance for the Blues. But this campaign he’s back – and he looks back to his best.
Why Romeo Lavia would have been ideal for Arsenal and Declan Rice
Despite Chelsea’s defeat to the reigning Premier League champions, Lavia performed excellently, showing true fearlessness in his passing and willingness to receive facing his own goal, something that would complement Rice’s attributes well.
Rice is a well-rounded midfielder but is still growing in his ball playing and dictation of games, something that Jorginho and Partey excel in.
The Gunners’ midfield looked significantly better when Jorginho partnered Arsenal’s number 41, however, the Italian’s athleticism and recovery speed could be improved upon, something Lavia has in abundance.
Last season, we saw Odegaard at times drop deeper to assist Rice in Arsenal’s build-up when Havertz played in midfield, and although it did work, the Arsenal captain does his best work in and around the final third.
Lavia would allow for the Norwegian true freedom as he is solid enough defensively but also provides the ability to play out from the back.
Lavia’s composure against a midfield made up of Matteo Kovacic, Kevin De Bruyne, and Bernardo Silva on Sunday left some fans upset they missed out on the towering central midfielder.
Future-proofing the Arsenal midfield
Lavia’s age profile (20) loosely aligns with the rest of the Arsenal squad and would’ve future-proofed the midfield as both Partey (31) and Jorginho (32) are getting no younger.
Both Partey and Jorginho’s contracts expire in 2025 leaving Arteta and Edu with some work to do this and next summer.
Mikel Merino looks the likeliest Arsenal midfield reinforcement this summer. Who will they end up with? Only time will tell.
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