Arsenal’s start to the season has been mixed to say the least. Whilst they’ve put in good performances against Manchester City and Aston Villa, they got trounced by Borussia Dortmund, booted out the League Cup by Southampton and held to a disappointing draw by Spurs.
Thus far they’ve fallen behind too many times and they’ve recorded too many draws. If The Gunners want to pick up further silverware this year, they’re going to need to find their winning spirit. More precisely, they’re going to need to sort out their leaky defense.
Injuries aren’t helping, but I’d argue that it’s the way that Arsene Wenger sets up his team that compounds the issue. The Gunners are much to susceptible to the counter attack and players like Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini have been too careless in possession so far this season.
Arteta’s lost his passing range (it seems) and Mathieu Flamini hasn’t been all that effective. Just look at the way he lost possession for Spurs’ goal on Saturday. Would somebody at the top of their game do that?
Arsenal’s most important January signing will be a defensive midfielder. Somebody with a real engine, good tackling ability and a competitive edge. With this in their squad, they’d represent an entirely different proposition for the opposition.
This brings me to The Metro‘s claim that Arsenal are interested in signing up Dinamo Zagreb midfielder, Marcelo Brozovic. The source even suggests that The Gunners have sent two senior scouts to watch the 21-year-old in action. If that’s true, then it looks like Arsenal’s interest in genuine.
Brozovic was a part of the Croatian squad for the 2014 World Cup. He’s also highly versatile. He can play as a play-maker or as a defensive midfielder. He’s got attacking threat, can score goals and he’s defensively astute. I’m sure Arsene Wenger will be a fan of his versatility and the fact that he’s something of an all-rounder.
In that sense, he’d be a big step up on Mathieu Flamini. He’s quicker, stronger and he’ll provide more threat in the final third. This deal strikes me as being something of a no-brainer.
What’s your take? Should The Gunners be interested in Marcelo Brozovic?
Please follow @ThePerfectPass for more football related action!
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.