Arsenal are reportedly preparing a bid for Southampton’s Dusan Tadic; but is he really the type of player they should be targeting?
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Arsenal are preparing a summer bid for Serbian attacking-midfielder Dusan Tadic, according to a report by Italian news outlet, Tuttomercartoweb. The report suggests that the Southampton midfielder, who has scored 16 goals in over 100 appearances during his time at St Marys, could be available for a fee of around £13 million.
Joining Southampton in 2014 from Dutch side FC Twente, Tadic has become a popular figure amongst Saints supporters and has shown he can perform under a number of different systems implemented by a number of different managers, playing under Mauricio Pochettino, Ronald Koeman and Claude Puel during his time at St Marys.
But is Dusan Tadic the type of player Arsenal really need? Over the last few years, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has shown just how much he enjoys buying players who can play as part of the three in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with names such as Mesut Ozil, Lucas Perez, Alexis Sanchez and more coming into the Emirates over the last few years.
And all these signings have been made whilst Arsenal fans cry out for a new number nine. Many Gunners simply feel that French forward Olivier Giroud just isn’t up to standard, and have been keen to see their club bring in a world class striker for a number of years now.
Southampton’s Dusan Tadic
Playing mostly as a number ten, who can also do a job in the wide areas, Dusan Tadic certainly isn’t the type of world-class striker Arsenal fans have been crying out for, and at 28-years-old, the Serbian is unlikely to be able to give the Gunners too many years at the kind of level they require.
Is he what they need? It doesn’t look like it. However, with the futures of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil still up in the air, Arsenal may look to move for the Southampton midfielder in the summer to fill gaps, rather than to add something more to the side.
Southampton’s Dusan Tadic celebrates
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
