Arsenal To Rival Newcastle United For This Bundesliga Midfielder: Should Arteta Get Him On Board?

In a recent report, Kicker claimed that Arsenal are set to rival Newcastle United for Hoffenheim midfielder Florian Grillitsch, who is set to become a free agent at the end of this campaign. It has been mentioned that the Gunners are showing interest in recruiting the Austria international in the summer.

Grillitsch’s Season Of Mixed Emotions In German Football

Grillitsch is having a solid campaign at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena but has missed a lot of important games due to multiple injuries. The 26-year-old has been involved in 12 matches for the German outfit this season, picking up four yellow cards in the process across multiple competitions.

The Austria international has caught the eye by averaging 2.5 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 1.8 clearances and 0.5 key passes per game in the Bundesliga. He has even been accurate when interchanging possession with his teammates from midfield after completing 88.7% of his attempted passes in the English first division (stats via whoscored).

Should Arsenal Head Coach Mikel Arteta Get Grillitsch On Board?

Grillitsch is a decent tackler of the ball and can scan the danger quickly to earn possession back for his team at the centre of the park. He doesn’t mind making up a lot of ground to clear the danger at the back when needed.

The 33-time Austria international has got the vision to play a decisive pass in the opposition half. He usually retains possession quite well for his side and can offer some solid protection for his teammates on the defensive end of the pitch.

A holding midfielder of Grillitsch’s skillset will undoubtedly be an excellent acquisition for the Gunners, especially if they can sign him on a free transfer at the end of this season.

We can expect the Hoffenheim star to add more bite and steel to Arsenal‘s midfield and could go on to form a dominant partnership with Thomas Partey at the North London club in the coming seasons.

However, there are some question marks over whether he can cope with the physical side of English football. Even then, the pros outweigh the cons of recruiting Grillitsch, so Arteta would be wise to get him on board when he becomes a free agent this summer.