Dutch player Kevin Strootman has been linked with a move to north London side, Arsenal. The midfielder, who signed for Italian giants AS Roma from PSV Eindhoven back in 2013, has had an oscillating career at Rome.
After joining Roma, Strootman made an impressive start to his life at the club and became one of the most influential players in the team. His stock rose rapidly as he became a well-renowned talent across Europe. It was in the summer of 2015-16, when Strootman was at the peak of his game, that his fellow Dutchman and the then Manchester United boss Louis Van Gaal wanted to bring him to Old Trafford. The move collapsed soon enough after Strootman was hit with an unfortunate injury in his knee. The injury kept him sidelined for over a year and Strootman’s name faded away from the newspapers entirely; so cruel is the modern game of football.
After making his return, Strootman has now recovered well and is on his way to becoming the midfielder he was in the past. He has forced his way back into the first team at AS Roma and is now a regular starter for the Italian side. He has made eight Serie A appearances this season on top of the four matches in the Champions League and has also captained the side in their 4-0 demolition of Benevento in September.
Strootman’s return to form has again seen interest in him rise with English sides Arsenal and Manchester United keen on the Dutchman. Strootman is a midfield enforcer with a good tackling sense and the ability to play key passes into the forward line. He is not exactly a goal scorer or an assist maker but he can make his midfield presence felt every time he is on the pitch.
Arsenal currently have a host of midfielders in Jack Wilshere, Granit Xhaka, Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey, Mohamed Elneny and young Joe Willock. While none of the midfielders have been able to make the headlines for the Gunners this season, there is still plenty to be hopeful about for the north London side.
Wilshere is finally showing glimpses of his true potential and Wenger is carefully bringing back his key midfielder into the grind. Should his development continue, he will undoubtedly be an asset to the club. The case for Xhaka is a little more confusing as he can be an absolute class on his day but a total disaster on others. A little more discipline to his game will definitely see Xhaka perform well enough to don the Arsenal jersey for years to come. Aaron Ramsey is definitely going to stay at the club as he still churns out impressive performances every now and then and Coquelin is there one true midfielder with genuine defensive qualities.
Amidst such abundance of quality, it does not make much sense for Arsenal to go in for Strootman who despite being a good player will simply be not worth the money in the current transfer market, given Arsenal’s budget constraints. They will do better instead to save the Strootman money and invest in bringing in a quality winger given the Alexis Sanchez situation.
