Reports have emerged that Arsenal are interested in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim midfielder, Kerem Demirbay. Arsene Wenger, however, will have to fend off interests from Premier League rivals Everton and Serie A club, AC Milan.
Demirbay has drawn the eyes of many with an impressive display for the Bundesliga outfit this season. Registering 2 goals and 5 assists in 22 appearances might not a remarkable statistic, but watching him play will give you an idea of the talent he possesses.
The 24-year-old fills the number 10 role perfectly with his astute technical abilities and a vision to find his teammates in threatening positions.
Primarily a product of FC Schalke, Demirbay have appeared for many sides in his youth career before finally making his move to Hoffenheim in 2016.
The Herten-born midfielder rescinded the offer from the Turkey national team and opted to play for Germany instead. Making his debut against Denmark on 6th June 2017, he is favoured for a call-up ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Demirbay’s efforts have been significant for Hoffenheim in their efforts to contend for a European spot finish. They dropped to the 7th spot of the Bundesliga after suffering a 2-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund before the holiday season.
Arsenal are in a similar situation as the German side and are fighting for a spot in the top 4 themselves. Their struggles have been compounded by a series of injuries to their best players.
Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are highly favoured to leave the club after this season, if not immediately. Both of them have declined offers of a contract extension and have been heavily linked to both the Manchester clubs.
With both them a likely possibility to leave, Wenger is scouting for proven talents to replace them. Demirbay can finally fill the void left by Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey in the midfield positions.
With a lack of quality options in the midfield area, Arsenal have failed to produce in the big stages for the past couple of seasons. And now with the headache of losing two of their biggest attacking threats, Gunners are in dire need of big money signings to bolster the squad.
Arsene Wenger has started to rotate his players in different positions accordingly to the formations chosen. Demirbay has the versatility to adapt to the sides restructuring on a game to game basis.
He is perfectly suited to appear behind the lone striker and link up the rest of the team with the final third. If he settles into the squad quickly, he can make a strong case for being called up to the national team in the future.
