Could this £15m man be the perfect Arsenal midfield acquisition?

Despite Arsenal’s prowess in the centre of the park, the club keep getting linked to midfielders. Take this Daily Mail article, for example, which links Arsenal to both Cesc Fabregas and Lars Bender, two gifted central midfielders.

It’s first claimed that the Gunners have a £25m buy-back clause written in Cesc’s Barcelona contract. If this is true and the Spaniard is available to sign this summer, Arsenal would be mad not to buy. He’s one of the best midfielders in the world.

But I find it hard to believe that Cesc Fabregas will look to move on from his boyhood club before he’s had an opportunity to prove himself. He’s far too good a player to leave with his reputation as it currently is.

Of the two players mentioned, Bender is a more realistic target. He’s also a player who would grant the Gunners significant strength in depth. Bare with me here.

Arsenal are spoiled for choice when it comes to technically gifted players. The truth is, however, Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla are all fairly similar. They’re small, attacking minded players who love to get forward and to support the strikers.

Yes, Arteta has played a holding role this season, but I’m not sure it suits him. On the other hand, this role suits Lars Bender down to a tee. Yes, Bender is known for his neat short passes, but he’s also a strong tackler, with great discipline who knows which positions to take up. In fact, the Arsenal player that he reminds me most of, is the hard-working Aaron Ramsey.

He may not have a particularly imposing physique, but he is able to use his smarts effectively. At 24-years-old, he should be right about to enter his peak. He’s already made 138 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen and 13 for Germany, so lack of experience should not be an issue.

The Mail quote a price of £15m, which I would argue is a fair price for the German midfielder. His profile is only likely to get bigger and bigger, so now is the right time to strike. After all, the club don’t need another player in the Fabregas mould. They need somebody like Bender who can come in and provide a base from which the midfield can build.

So let’s hope that the claims are true and that Bender is on his way to the Emirates this summer.

What’s your take? Would you like to see Lars Bender at Arsenal?

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