He has had chances, he's just never impressed enough in them. I remember under Emery he played half season at right back and had a pretty poor time of it there.

Apart from Saka I do worry about a lot of the other English boys we have coming through. Probably need to sell ESR, Reiss, Willock, Eddie and look to reinvest. AMN probably better than them and someone I'd like to see have a run, he's a bit hit and miss but defensively in recent times his game looks a lot better.

Ideally bring more youth players through or invest in some British talent. Plenty coming through and also we need to meet our Home Grown requirements.

I think ESR will be as good as Saka if he can stay injury free. Nelson is probably technically the best of the lot, but without the footballing brain he needs to find a bit more power from somewhere to really make a difference.

It’s the next couple of year groups that have the best talent like Azeez, Balogun, Cottrell, and Cirjan. So we’re going to have to wait a while.

With Nketiah, ESR, Willock and Nelson we atleast have some players who could draw a decent fee. Alongside Xhaka, Bellerin, Lacazette, Torreira and Guendouzi and even Pepe, we could raise funds for an overhaul.

Can’t wait to ditch Ozil, Mustafi, Sokratis, Kolasinac, Luiz.

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

Julian Brandt linked

I’d be happy enough with that

Okay, back to a highly skilled player in AM. He might be a bit frustrated since going to Dortmund. He was relegated to the bench a lot, and really only started getting play time with Håland injured, playing as false nine. He's versatile, having played as both a central mid and winger in his career. Very tidy on the ball, comfortable linking up with team-mates like ESR. This is possibly a good buy - a quality player at a low point. 

I really wanted us to get him before he went to Dortmund. Why has he started playing centrally, especially in CM? Wingers transitioning to CM is usually indicative of them having lost their speed / acceleration from injury.

Brandt has proven to be not of top level quality.

Do not want. We need to stop signing players like these and go for the best we can. We have ESR already, signing Brandt won't make any sense whatsoever.

FWIW, Aouar is no longer our main target according to Orny. We have moved on to others.

Clrnc wrote:

Brandt has proven to be not of top level quality.

Do not want. We need to stop signing players like these and go for the best we can. We have ESR already, signing Brandt won't make any sense whatsoever.

FWIW, Aouar is no longer our main target according to Orny. We have moved on to others.

I thought Brandt was decent last season? 

We need another 10 and he could provide good competition for ESR, but I've not really seen him enough to know if he's worth the gamble.

He doesn't create much, basically just a slightly above average pass and move player that has a good shot.

I'd take another pass and move player to be fair. We can look for a top shelf player to partner Partey instead.

goon wrote:

I'd take another pass and move player to be fair. We can look for a top shelf player to partner Partey instead.

Maybe Brandt is intended to be the new creative CM alongside Partey as per Cazorla?

Julian Brandt Football Statistics | WhoScored.com
all of those listed strengths are exactly what we are looking for in a creative CM.

Looks creative enough to me. Can beat the press and pass through the lines

I'd be on board with brandt if we weren't so creatively bankrupt. he can slot in as a supporting creative player, but not as the main creative hub

Gazza M wrote:

I'd be on board with brandt if we weren't so creatively bankrupt. he can slot in as a supporting creative player, but not as the main creative hub

If his defence is sound (unlike Xhaka), then IMO he'd be fine as either double pivot alongside Partey OR as a hybrid 8/10 alongside Partey in an inverted midfield3 with a more defensive CM behind them.
For that matter if his defence is good, then he and Partey could both press high with a mobile playmaker type behind them.

Point being we may not be looking towards an individual to be the creative hub (as seen previously with DB10/Fabregas/Ozil or even at MC re KdB & Co or MU re Fernandes/Pogba), but perhaps more about the system as seen with LFC, so long as we have the capability and quality to not only win possession but to also do something with it in broken play as much as passing out from the back.

Alternatively I'd still like this guy if we're going to stay with win pivot CMs in a 4231

Tottenham are interested in signing RB Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, 26, with the German club unwilling to improve his current deal which expires in summer 2022. (Bild's Christian Falk on Twitter)


5 Players Arsenal Should Sign in January 2021
Statman Dave

recommendations to address creativity issue

Calhanoglu
https://www.whoscored.com/Players/110373/Show/Hakan-Calhanoglu
Buendia
https://www.whoscored.com/Players/260592/Show/Emiliano-Buend%C3%ADa
Kamada
https://www.whoscored.com/Players/344166/Show/Daichi-Kamada
De Paul
https://www.whoscored.com/Players/125547/Show/Rodrigo-de-Paul
Depay
https://www.whoscored.com/Players/110154/Show/Memphis-Depay

Some potential bargains to be had re Calhanoglu and Depay being in their last year, whilst Udinese were willing to sell De Paul last summer.
None are older than 26, and 2 offer genuine goal threats from open play, whilst 1 is a set piece threat and another can dictate tempo.

Given there’s such a dearth of creative midfield talent out there I recon we should try and go big on a super start striker.

Break the bank for Haaland.

—————-——-Leno
AMN/Bellerin—Holding—Gabriel—Tierney
——————Partey—Xhaka
—Saka/Pepe——Smith-Rowe—-Martinelli/Auba
—————-——Haaland

Would be a level or two up on where we currently are