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Luiz, Zubimendi, and Kimmich: Arsenal’s three-man shortlist for a midfield upgrade

By on February 15, 2024

Joshua Kimmich

According to journalist Rudy Galetti on Caught Offside, Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz is at the top of Arsenal’s three-man midfielder shortlist as they look to replace Thomas Partey this summer.

The Arsenal midfield has been pretty solid this season. But one thing is for sure: It’s not living up to its full potential. Thomas Partey’s injuries and the aftermath of Granit Xhaka’s departure have really been felt.

Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice are doing a great job and they are certain starters in the Arsenal midfield. On the other hand, the LCM position seems to be up for grabs.

Havertz is currently the one who’s expected to play there, but he hasn’t really fully settled following his big money move from Chelsea. The German international has definitely shown glimpses of his potential, but it seems like he doesn’t quite complete the Arsenal midfield equation. With him, Rice, and Odegaard, it’s like the Arsenal midfield is still missing something.

If Partey hadn’t been dealing with injuries, he would have made a significant impact. The Ghanaian international has always been a key player for Arsenal…..when fully fit. Unfortunately, he just hasn’t managed to keep himself fit due to persistent injuries.

According to Galetti in his Caught Offside column, Partey will leave Arsenal in the summer so Mikel Arteta is on the look out for a top class replacement, and Douglas Luiz is heading a three-man shortlist.

Arsenal tried to buy Luiz last year but the Brazilian stayed at Aston Villa after rejected a late January bid and he’s continue to develop into one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League during his time at Villa Park.

Galetti says that Arsenal will once again look to persuade Luiz that Arteta’s project is the one for him. Transfermarkt says the South American is worth around £51 million but Villa will no doubt demand more to let him go.

So, who are the other two targets?

Caught Offside reveals Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich are also on Arteta’s shortlist of targets, alongside Luiz.

Everyone knows that Arsenal has been linked to Zubimendi. They’ve been keeping an eye on the Spaniard for more than a year now. He’s got a release clause of around £50 million, as per the report, so he wouldn’t break the bank. But the Gunners will have some tough competition from clubs like Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern, and PSG.

Meanwhile, Joshua Kimmich’s contract with Bayern is set to expire in 2025. It’s unclear whether he’ll sign a new deal or not. Bayern are making an effort to persuade him to extend his contract.

But if he doesn’t agree to a new deal, the report suggests he will be sold in the summer with Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Barcelona are all vying for his signature. Transfermarkt says he’s worth around £64 million.

All three midfielders are fantastic players who could really elevate Arsenal’s game. So it will be interesting to see if the Gunners manage to land any of their three targets in the summer.