The rebuilding under Mikel Arteta at the Emirates gives way for an interesting transfer rumour mill, especially in the winter transfer window.
And former Aston Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor may have fuelled another story, with his latest comments.
In a recent interview, Agbanlahor claimed that Arsenal should look for an upgrade over Lucas Torreira and that Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi is a player Arteta should target in the future.
“I still don’t think he’s the player who is going to take Arsenal to that next step,” Agbonlahor said of Torreira.
“I think the way he’s been playing for Leicester, he’s got the legs in midfield, he can play the ball forward as well, he can win the ball back,” he claimed as a reason for Arsenal to sign the former Genk midfielder.
Is this a story that can gather pace in the upcoming months?
Wilfred Ndidi’s Quality
The Nigerian international was brought to England by Leicester City back in 2017, in their quest to search for a player who can replace N’Golo Kante in their midfield.
Though replacing the Frenchman is almost an impossible task, Ndidi has done no harm to his reputation.
At just 23, he is easily one of the most consistent defensive midfielders in the league at the moment and is a major reason for Leicester’s impressive run.
He is one of the first names on the team sheet for Brendan Rodgers, as he was for the previous managers at King Power, which has seen him make a total of 125 appearances for the club across all competitions already.
Ndidi is a busy player in the middle of the park and is second on the list of having made the most successful tackles in the league.
He has an excellent understanding of the game, does not shy away from putting himself on the line and is usually a step ahead of the opponent, constantly making life easier for his backline.
There are very few defensive midfielders in the world that are as effective and consistent at the highest stage as the Leicester City man and he will definitely improve this Arsenal side.
Possible Role At Arsenal
Arteta has the likes of Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi to add to Lucas Torreira to play in the defensive midfield roles.
In a 4-2-3-1, Wilfred Ndidi alongside Xhaka adds stability and strength to the side. Having Torreira with Ndidi will give them some fluidity while Guendouzi adds some flair if needed.
Though not riddled with superstars, this is a midfield lineup that will be among the best in the league.
Arteta may struggle to afford regular gametime to all these four players but Wilfred Ndidi is certainly an upgrade on the current options.
Ndidi’s presence in the midfield will certainly make Arsenal more stable at the back and at just 23, he is a player who can solve this issue in the long term.
However, this is a story that has only come as a suggestion from Agbanlahor and it is to be seen if Arteta deems Wilfred Ndidi fit for his system at Emirates.
