Last summer, Arsenal rigorously pushed to land one of two central midfielders. They ultimately settled for Thomas Partey rather than Houssem Aouar, with Lyon routinely rebuffing their efforts to land Frenchman before deciding the 22-year-old was not for sale. Partey isn't necessarily a poor alternative, but the pair are different midfielders.
What's more, Partey's time in north London hasn't gone exactly to plan. Injuries have restricted the Ghana star to just four league starts following his arrival from Atletico Madrid, while, crucially, there remains a lack of attacking thrust from deep for the Gunners. Arsenal's other senior central midfield options - Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos - have contributed to just two league goals between them this season.
Arsenal are expected to dip into the transfer market in a bid to strengthen their attack when the window opens later this week. Aouar is unlikely to be pursued, with the club backed to turn their attention elsewhere. Emiliano Buendia, Joan Jordan and Julian Brandt are the three players linked with a move to the Emirates, though with the former operating best from the right, a position they are well stocked in, it's likely that Arsenal will chase either Jordan or Brandt.
Jordan boasts a £55m release clause in his Sevilla contract and has been a first team regular for the LaLiga side this season, however, the COVID-19 pandemic means the Spanish side are likely to accept a lower fee. Rather, Brandt would perhaps be the more appealing option for Arsenal.
Brandt has struggled for minutes for Borussia Dortmund this season, making just six league starts for the Bundesliga side. One assist doesn't tell the full story of the 24-year-old's campaign so far and, had his teammates boasted their shooting boost, the young midfielder's assist return would look far healthier. Indeed, 2.8 key passes per 90 is second only to Raphael Guerreiro (3.3) of all Borussia Dortmund players in the Bundesliga in 2020/21.
Jordan, by comparison, is making 1.6 key passes per 90, whereas Arsenal's most creative player of all first team regulars is Willian, with 1.5 key passes per 90. A total of 120 chances created is among the worst in the Premier League, so it's evident that a player prepared to take greater risks while in possession is of the utmost importance in the New Year.
"It's quite clear what we need. We need a player with creativity in the middle, we don’t have that in the squad right now," technical director Edu recently stated. Mesut Ozil has been ostracised from the first team and is set to leave sooner rather than later, which leaves Mikel Arteta's side desperately lacking in creativity from midfield, a problem that would be rectified by the capture of Brandt.
Arteta needs to sell before he can buy next month, with Ozil tipped to be followed by centre-backs Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi out of the Emirates exit in January, which would free up funds for the Germany international. A move away from Borussia Dortmund is one that would also benefit Brandt, who needs regular game time ahead of next summer's European Championship.
Arteta has recently moved his side to a 4-2-3-1 setup, which opens up space for a number 10 to pull the strings in the final third and it's a position that Brandt could very well make his own if Arsenal can strike up a deal with Borussia Dortmund in January.
