Is this £14m deal a good way to kick of Arsenal’s summer spending?

Following a summer of inactivity, Arsenal fans may have been excited to see The Mirror‘s recent claim that the club is on the verge of agreeing a £14m deal for Bayern Munich star Luiz Gustavo.

Sure, fans may well be waiting to hear what’s happening with Luis Suarez, but if this move goes through, it will be a major step forward for the club.

Having sold Alex Song to Barcelona last summer, the Gunners have been without a proper defensive-minded midfielder for the last 12 months.

This, in its own way, is a little surprising, given the fact that Arsenal are always accused of being too easy to bully.

Mikel Arteta has been forced to step in and he’s done an admirable job. He gets around well, knows how to win fouls (and when to give them away) and can distribute the ball well once he’s won it back.

Still, I can’t shake the feeling that he should be utilised higher up the pitch, where he can pull the strings and link up better with Arsenal’s forward line.

If he’s to be allowed to do this, however, Arsene Wenger needs to bring somebody in to play in his current position. The Gunners would have to finally sign a replacement for Alex Song.

In this sense, a £14m deal for Gustavo makes a lot of sense. The Gunners will certainly be getting a lot of bang for their buck – after all, the Brazilian is highly versatile, having played as a left-back, centre-back and a defensive midfielder. Arsene Wenger likes ‘fluid’ players and the fact that Gustavo is able to fill in where necessary must appeal to the Frenchman.

Better still, Gustavo would add an athletic presence to the Gunners midfield. Arsenal fans must be sick of watching their midfielders ball watch, whilst the opposition breaks past them. Gustavo on the other hand, rarely ever gets caught out, has the pace to catch his man and the power to win the ball back. He’d be a great addition.

Bayern Munich have recently signed Thiago Alcantara and Mario Gotze, two startling talented midfielders. If Gustavo stays at the Allianz Arena, he could find that he swiftly becomes a fringe player. At the Emirates, on the other hand, he’d get pride of position and would be a regular first-teamer.

As such, now seems to be the right time for the 26-year-old to move on.

Whilst I hope this isn’t the last major deal Arsenal strike this summer, it would certainly be a good start.

What’s your take? Should the Gunners finalise a deal for Luis Gustavo?

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