Despite having some of the best midfielders in the English Premier League, the Gunners have often found their mid-park display wanting during big games. And a big lump of that criticism is being directed at German star Mesut Ozil, who has been immensely ineffective in big games.
It is no secret that the German is lethargic in his play and his unwillingness to make defensive contributions has hurt the team in the bigger picture. Arsenal are likely to move for a suitable candidate coming January for that position, but face a problem as no big club would be willing to let go their players in the midseason.
However, according to Daily Star, Arsenal might just have found a perfect solution to resolve the current crisis. Reportedly, the Gunners are plotting a loan deal for Real Madrid midfielder Isco with an option to make it permanent next summer.
The 24-year-old playmaker has found it difficult to find his place amidst intense competition in Zinedine Zidane’s Real squad this season and is apparently unhappy at not being a regular starter. The situation has put several top European clubs on high alert.
The Gunners are reportedly moving for a six-month loan deal. Isco is reportedly valued at £25m, while Arsenal, as usual, are valuing him at around £17m plus add-ons. Wenger has been a long-term admirer of the Spaniard and North London is one of Isco’s preferred options too.
Isco moved to Real from Malaga in 2013 for £25m. He has made 16 appearances this season in all competition, mostly from the bench, and he has managed to score thrice and assist the same number of times.
He has a passing accuracy of 89% and a shooting accuracy of 57%. But, more importantly, Isco has won 55% of his average duels this season so far, an attribute Arsenal so badly need at the moment. The Gunners have hard-working players like Alexis Sanchez, Alex Iwobi, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Hector Bellerin on the flanks and all they need is a similar kind of player in the middle who could pull the strings under pressure on the counter. And Isco looks like the perfect upgrade for that.
Interestingly, contract talks with Ozil have stalled with German asking for 280k-300k, which Gunners aren’t willing to pay. The attacking midfielder has also expressed his interest in moving back to Real, and Arsenal could really leverage this window to swap for Isco and cash.
The Gunners currently sit 4th the Premier League table, 9 points behind league leaders Chelsea. With FA Cup and Champions League knockout stages coming in few months, Arsenal need to take immediate steps to secure the deal. One worry would be that Isco will be cup-tied for the UCL.
