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Arsenal could dip into the free market in 2023 to bolster their midfield, having splashed the cash in the last two summer transfer windows.
It is no secret that manager Mikel Arteta is keen to bring in a new midfielder with the Gunners lacking depth in the middle of the pitch.
Fans are constantly sweating over Thomas Partey‘s fitness with the Ghanaian plagued by setbacks since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2020.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Elneny is currently on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, with Albert Sambi Lokonga still settling in after arriving from Anderlecht last year.
And despite thriving in his new free-roaming No. 8 role, Granit Xhaka is only tied down at Arsenal until 2024, with no future contract talks on the horizon as of yet.
Gunners legend Ian Wright recently teased supporters that star players are ‘waiting’ to make the move to the Emirates if they finish in the top four.
And with Arsenal sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table after eight games, they are expected to qualify for the Champions League.
With that in mind, talkSPORT runs you through the best midfielders available on a Bosman transfer next summer.
N’Golo Kante – Chelsea
A target of Arsenal prior to his switch to Chelsea from Leicester, Kante has entered the final year of his deal at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues are unwilling to accept his four-year contract demands, as they prefer instead to give him a two-year extension.
Boss Graham Potter recently cast doubt on the 31-year-old signing a new deal, while club icon Scott Minto believes Chelsea may have to release him.
With Kante settled in the capital, it could be another case similar to when Arsenal poached Willian on a free in 2020 from Chelsea.
Toni Kroos – Real Madrid
If Arsenal wish to make a statement should they return to Europe’s premier competition, what better way to show you mean business than landing serial winner Toni Kroos.
Still only 32, the German maestro remains one of the world’s leading midfielders having recently scooped his fifth Champions League crown – his fourth with Real Madrid.
Approaching 650 club appearances, the 2014 World Cup winner would come in as a leader to the Arsenal dressing room where he could lend his expertise to the club’s younger players.
And with his former Germany teammate Per Mertesacker a key figure at Arsenal, who knows if the BFG could convince Kroos to swap Spain for England.
Ilkay Gundogan – Manchester City
It wouldn’t come as a shock if Arteta raids Manchester City for another player he coached during his stint as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad.
Arsenal brought in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the summer, with the pair transforming the way the team plays.
And Gundogan, 31, would make total sense with the German a perfect rotational option with Xhaka.
Arsenal were even linked with a move for the ex-Borussia Dortmund man in May, but a transfer failed to materialise.
Douglas Luiz – Aston Villa
Arsenal had three bids rejected to sign the Brazil international on deadline day with Arteta a huge admirer of his.
The Spaniard had worked with Luiz, 24, briefly at City before the Villans snapped him up in 2019.
It has even been said that the Gunners could reignite their interest in the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist in January in a cut-price deal.
Villa boss Steven Gerrard recently revealed that there has been no progress made in convincing the player to pen a new contract in the Midlands.
He said: “No news in terms of extending his stay here, so that hasn’t changed. We want him to stay here, the owners were very strong in keeping him here.”
Youri Tielemans – Leicester
Another player that was heavily linked with joining the north London giants, Tielemans, 25, appears unlikely to stay on at Leicester beyond next summer.
Arsenal opted against making a move for the Belgian, who was claimed to be willing to join the club.
Former West Brom ace Hal Robson-Kanu believes it was an error made by Arsenal as he told talkSPORT he wold have been “perfect” for them.
He remarked: “I’ve played against him first hand. He’s a top four player. His manipulation of the ball, the way he dictates the play, he will move the ball through the lines and receives the ball in tight areas.
“He will penetrate and hurt the opposition from a deeper place. That’s something for Arsenal fans, and the way they want to play, he would have been perfect for them.”
Konrad Laimer – RB Leipzig
One of the Bundesliga’s top performers, the 25-year-old is a pressing machine – something Arteta demands from his squad.
A true box-to-box midfielder, the Austrian is destined for a step up after establishing himself as a key player at the Red Bull Arena.
But Bayern Munich are believed to be in pole position to secure his services having retained interest in him after being knocked back in their summer approach.
Should Laimer link up with the Bavarian outfit, he would be reunited with former Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann, as well as his ex-teammates Dayot Upamecano and Macrel Sabitzer.