Arsenal have been in contention to sign a new central midfielder, with Martin Zubimendi struggling to fit into Mikel Arteta’s plans in the early stages of the Premier League season.
Zubimendi has appeared in just 89 minutes in five Premier League games this season following the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes, who scored the winner in the win against Leeds United at the weekend.
Coming off a 3-0 defeat at Brighton before the international break, it was imperative for the Gunners to get back to winning ways and they made no mistake, winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Guimaraes.
Myles Lewis-Skelly started at the base of midfield alongside Declan Rice, Arteta is clearly not short of options in the middle of the park and Zubimendi may not be available for the next match as he missed training ahead of the Champions League clash with Lille.
With Rice, Lewis-Skelly and Guimaraes available, Arteta should be able to cope, but the north Londoners have now entered contention to sign a midfielder ahead of the January transfer window.
Arsenal’s midfield options | Premier League matches | Duration of the contract |
Declan Rice | 6 | 2028 |
Bruno Guimaraes | 4 | 2030 |
Myles Lewis-Skelly | 5 | 2030 |
Martin Zubimendi | 5 | 2030 |
Mikel Merinos | 6 | 2028 |
Arsenal have joined the race to sign Andy Diouf
That’s according to a report from Caught Offside, with Arsenal already in the race to sign Inter Milan midfielder Andy Diouf, who is believed to be ideal for Arteta due to his ability to play in a number of positions.
The Frenchman is capable of playing in central midfield as well as at full-back and full-back, so he will provide valuable cover for the Gunners, who will look to challenge on all fronts again this season.
However, the Serie A giants are in a strong negotiating position as the 23-year-old is under contract until 2030 and they are unwilling to sanction a sale this winter.
Journalist Neal Gardner has been impressed with the France international’s performance in two games this season, describing him as “incredible” last month, and he has proved a valuable playmaker for Inter, scoring three goals in five Serie A appearances.
At international level, the former Lens man also started to get into Zinedine Zidane’s plans, completing 64/70 accurate passes in the 4-1 win against Belgium in the last international break.
However, there is no need for Arsenal to bolster their options in the middle of the park at the moment, with the likes of Zubimendi and Merino fighting for a regular place in the side.