Who Is The Right Man To Replace Santi Cazorla’s Effortless Play From The Midfield At Arsenal
Santi Cazorla seems to have become a forgotten figure of sorts at Arsenal. A slew of injuries severely dented his chances of selection and his form. It has been quite some time since any of us saw him in an Arsenal jersey and considering the seriousness of his injury, it is unlikely that we will get a glimpse of him anytime soon.
When he joined in 2012 from Malaga, Cazorla’s displays wreaked havoc upon opposition defences. Boasting of an innate ability to attack and weave magic with the ball at his feet, Cazorla dictated the midfield like nobody’s business for the Gunners.
At 33 years of age, it is unlikely that he will be able to come back and make an impact. One might argue that Jack Wilshere did it but the 26-year-old revived his career because he had his age on his side. With Cazorla’s contract set to expire over the summer, his future seems shrouded in uncertainty at this point.
Also, offering him a new contract might seem like a futile move for the club when looking at it from a business standpoint. Hence, with the January window up and running, perhaps it is time for the Gunners to start scouting the market for replacements. Here are 2 players who Wenger can target.
Marco Verratti
One option could be Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti. The 25-year-old has struggled for game time to an extent this time but he is renowned as one of PSG’s best. He has managed to score 2 goals and 3 assists so far, having appeared 26 times for the French giants this season.
Those are not terrible numbers by any measure, especially when one considers his pass success-rate of 90.9%. The player can provide a creative attacking outlet from the middle, which is likely to help Alexandre Lacazette as well. Verratti’s defensive contributions are also quite impressive, thus making him a strong contender to replace Cazorla.
Jean Michael Seri
Another option for the Gunners would be OGC Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri. Arsenal have been linked to signing him this January and given his traits, he could prove to be an ideal Cazorla replacement. At 26 years of age, Seri has managed to appear 25 times for the French club so far and has chipped in with a goal and 5 assists. Like Verratti, Seri boasts of a stunning pass success-rate of 91% and there is no doubt that he would establish a sense of dominance for the North London side in the midfield.
Both players seem like solid additions but in the end, it will all come down to Wenger. A move for Seri seems to be on the cards but it remains to be seen if the deal will actually go through.