Schneiderlin Linked With Arsenal - Why The Saints Star Is Not The Midfielder The Gunners Need

Arsenal are expected to strengthen this summer after their promising title challenge last season ran out of steam when it mattered. An area that has perhaps been overlooked amongst the talks of strikers and wingers is the centre midfield. Presently the Gunners rely on Mikel Arteta as their only real holding midfielder of any quality, but questions remain regarding his ability to play that position. Arteta has a very impressive pass accuracy of 92% over the past season, although he seems to lack the defensive abilities that Arsene Wenger’s side have been missing.

The Mirror are reporting Wenger’s interest in Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin. The Saints man had an impressive season last year, dictating play with his neat passing and ability to play the likes of Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert into space. Much like Arteta, though, Schneiderlin has not shown enough of a defensive game; he is not a player to win the ball back in midfield which is arguably what Arsenal are lacking. Schneiderlin’s importance to Southampton is formed on his passing ability in which he still falls short of Mikel Arteta.

Whilst the Gunners certainly do need to be in the market for another centre midfielder, Schneiderlin is not the man to cement an Arsenal title challenge. Wenger should perhaps be looking more towards a player like Arturo Vidal or his Chile team-mate and current Cardiff City player Gary Medel. Both of these players would offer an option that Arsenal do not currently have. Medel is likely to be cheaper than all current Arsenal targets and, as well as showing his ability during the World Cup, the defensive midfielder has displayed a versatility that could prove priceless for the Gunners.

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