According to Bild’s Christian Falk, Arsenal have identified Julian Brandt as a target this summer. It appears the Borussia Dortmund star has emerged as the number one alternative, should the Premier League giants fail to permanently secure the services of on-loan Real Madrid playmaker Martin Odegaard after the end of the season. Brandt has had a difficult time at Dortmund and a move to England could be on the horizon.
Julian Brandt’s Struggles At Borussia Dortmund
Julian Brandt joined Borussia Dortmund in 2019, in a €25 million move from Bayer Leverkusen. He was brought in to add more quality in the club’s creative department and to potentially become a long-term replacement for Marco Reus.
Brandt enjoyed certain positive moments during his first season at Ruhrpott, registering eight assists in 33 matches. However, there was a lack of trust put in him by coach Lucien Favre, and it became evident in the 2020/21 campaign.
Indeed, the German international struggled with both form and a lack of game-time during the first half of this campaign. The subsequent rise of Giovanni Reyna, Youssoufa Moukoko and even Ansgar Knauff, coupled with the return of Thorgan Hazard and Marco Reus, saw him fall behind in the pecking order.
As a result, Brandt has mustered just over 1,350 minutes of Bundesliga action this season, making a total of 16 starts while being involved in just four goals – a massive dip from the 11 he managed during the 2019/20 campaign.
Is He A Good Option For Arsenal?
Arsenal‘s pursuit of Julian Brandt is set to incorporate a lot of risks, given the player’s poor performances in the Bundesliga over the past year or so. It appears the playmaker has had a massive dip in his fitness, and it has been evident in his performances, with the player barely being useful in the first line of press.
Although Brandt is still useful when it comes to his skill on the ball, the German international is alarmingly similar to Mesut Ozil in regards to the style of play and decline.
Therefore, the Borussia Dortmund star might struggle to flourish in the physicality astute nature of the Premier League and might often get dispossessed. It is also fair to point out that the 24-year-old has had his fair share of injury problems during his career – also making him a potentially error-prone attacker, with the situation likely to get worse going forward.
It makes Brandt quite a risky investment for Arsenal – one they certainly cannot afford to make in the current financial climate after yet another disappointing campaign in the Premier League.
