Arsenal currently have one of the best midfield pairings in England with Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, but according to numerous reports, two new midfielders could be through the door at the Emirates soon.
Indeed, according to The Athletic, Arsenal have bid £60m for Moises Caicedo in recent days, while The Times report that Declan Rice is their top midfield target for the summer.
Now, there’s a long way to go before either of these deals are done, but there is reason to believe that these two could be amazing together for Arsenal.
In fact, we’d go as far as to say that they could be the modern day equivalent of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva.
Vieira and Silva were the heartbeat of the Arsenal team that won the Premier League and FA Cup twice in the early 2000s. They were famed for their physicality and defensive work, but also their ability to control the tempo of the game with their passing.
They were the perfect balance, with Vieira providing the energy and tenacity and Silva providing the calmness as ‘The Invisible Wall’ as he was known.
It’s been a long time since Arsenal have had a midfield pairing as good as Vieira and Silva. But in Caicedo and Rice, they would have the potential to recreate that dynamic duo.
Rice has the energy and drive that reminds many of Vieira. In fact, Rice has admitted he’s studied Vieira’s game in the past. While Caicedo has the composure and passing range that Silva possessed.
They both have the ability to dictate the play, and they both have the tactical acumen to work together brilliantly.
They would be the perfect pairing for Arsenal, and would give them the solidity in midfield that they had been lacking for so long before this season.
This is a pairing that could keep Arsenal at the top of English football for a long time.
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