Arsene Wenger has reportedly deployed his scouting team to set up camp in South America and check out the prospects of Olimpico midfielder, Richard Sanchez. The Paraguayan was called up for international duty last week and is set to make his debut against USA in the next few days.
Sanchez said, “It is very nice to be summoned to the national team, it is the dream of all players.”
The player has been one of the brightest sparks in the Olimpico team despite their failure to progress to the second round of the Copa Libertadores. He is a defensive midfielder by trade and is showing great promise.
Arsenal are in the market for a defensive midfielder judging by the horrific season they are currently going through, mostly attributed to their problems at the back. Arsene Wenger also made the decision to offload Francis Coquelin in the January market which has left the club with Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny as the defensive enforcer around the centre circle.
Xhaka is a regular starter under Wenger but still has ways to go in terms of consistency and all over playing quality. His distribution abilities are way below par and not at all justifiable of the £30m price-tag, which Arsenal paid for him in the summer of 2016. His decisions are not always the best as a midfield anchor which eventually costs the side.
Elneny has been limited to a rotational role ever since his arrival on 13 January 2016. He is the better choice in the deeper role and this has sparked questions of Wenger’s team selection over the course of the season.
Nevertheless, with Aaron Ramsey struggling to maintain his fitness and Jack Wilshere’s contract winding down to an end it would be a good move for the North London side to re-strengthen the squad next summer.
The squad has been depleted over the departures of Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis Sanchez and the defence will be further weakened when Per Mertesacker announces his retirement after the season.
The backline has been the root cause of their shambolic form this season with Wenger struggling to hold off any of the Premier League opponents away from home. However, is a player like Sanchez the right man to answer their woes next season?
Facing the challenges of Premier League football is a hard transition for almost any player and Sanchez will undergo the full thrash of it. He is still young and his development might just hit the sweet spot under the guidance of Wenger.
