A recent Arsenal rumour gathering momentum seems to be a £24m move for Sevilla’s Grzegorz Krychowiak…
Aside from being a commentators nightmare, the Polish holder isn’t exactly a signing to get pulses racing, with the enforcer having only swapped French minnows Reims for the Spanish side over the summer in a deal worth around £3m. Hardly an established star.
Although he’s by no means a poor player – in fact he’s been excellent this term – there are better value options out there for the Gunners, and here are FIVE…
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CLICK ON ARSENE WENGER TO REVEAL THE FIVE
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Sami Khedira
Okay, this one’s been dragging along for so long now that it’s beginning to look highly unlikely. But, there’s little doubting that Khedira could be the exact player Arsenal have been missing for some time… and he is available at a bargain rate in January.
The 27-year-old has bags of energy, loads of experience and is a true box-to-box player, which are three characteristics missing from the Gunners’ engine room right now. With his contract due to expire at the end of the season a cut-price January sale is on the cards, even though the German has hinted that he could stay at Real Madrid to see out his deal.
Cheick Tiote
From actively pursuing a move away from Newcastle a matter of months ago, Tiote has been very quiet of late. The Ivorian suggested that he’s ready to leave the North East after just over four years in the black and white shirt, with European football now his aim. Although not the most fashionable of players, Tiote is a genuine midfield destroyer, with his willingness to do the thankless tasks vital to his team-mates.
Having Tiote in his midfield would mean that Arsene Wenger would need to sacrifice some of his creativity, but the Newcastle hard-man may be enough to provide the shield the Gunners have been missing. Around £12m could be enough for the player, but his fee could be reduced if he continues to chase a move.
William Carvalho
Cost effective doesn’t necessarily mean cheap, and due to that we’ve put William Carvalho among the names on this list. The Sporting CP man is valued at just above £20m and is currently thought of as one of the very best young holding midfielders around.
Given the ‘new Patrick Vieira’ moniker already, Carvalho certainly has the billing to be a great option for the Gunners, while his stature and pure physicality make him a fearsome opponent. Unlike many others in the same mould though, he has great attacking abilities and has shown in the past that he’s adept at getting forward to support his attackers.
Fabian Delph
It’s been a whirlwind few months for Delph, who has moved from being a solid Premier League midfielder to a full England international and a wanted man. The Aston Villa ace is believed to be looking at a January move as his contract enters its final six months, despite the Midlanders being desperate to tie him down.
At 24, soon to be 25, Delph has plenty of scope to improve over the coming years and could become part of an English core – alongside Wilshere, Welbeck and Chambers – at the Emirates Stadium.
Calum Chambers
Now this one is a little left field, but there’s no reason it couldn’t work. Chambers has already shown himself to be adaptable – he’s played at centre-back this term on a few occasions – so converting to a holding midfield role could make some sense, right?
Technically adept and blessed with defensive awareness, Chambers could easily be used as an enforcer, with Philipp Lahm of Bayern Munich and Germany an example that Wenger may look to use as inspiration. Plus, it wouldn’t cost a penny to do so…
