Arsenal have had issues in midfield this season, and may now target Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, but they will face competition from their rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
The attacking midfielder has scored five and assisted nine times in 14 appearances this season, and is thriving alongside former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka.
With Mikel Arteta facing issues in midfield, he may turn to the January transfer window, as Kai Havertz has been disappointing since his arrival and the club are struggling to replace Xhaka’s influence in the middle of the park.
Arsenal interested in Florian Wirtz
A report from Mundo Deportivo has now claimed that Arsenal, as well as Spurs, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all tracking Wirtz, who could cost up to £87m.
Wirtz is an essential cog for Xabi Alonso, and he would not come cheaply, but given the 20-year-old’s form, he could be targeted as a long-term solution in Arteta’s midfield.
Could Arsenal sign Wirtz?
Despite the issues Arsenal are facing in midfield, a move for Wirtz at this high price seems highly unlikely, and Arteta has a lot of options at his disposal.
Arsenal elected to spend £65m on Kai Havertz in the summer, as well as giving him a long-term contract on high wages. That he has disappointed since, does not mean that Arsenal can simply write him off and spend another huge fee on a player in the same position.
This highlights the problem Arsenal are now facing as a result of their summer recruitment, that the heavy spending on the likes of Havertz may prevent them from securing other targets.
Wirtz could be an exceptional addition to the Arsenal midfield, with Alonso previously comparing him to Lionel Messi, and it seems inevitable that he will eventually move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs for a massive fee.
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