Arsenal have already suffered one major injury this season in the form of Mohamed Elneny, and the length of the midfielder’s absence could cause some major problems for the Gunners.
According to reports, the Egyptian international could be out until 2023 at the earliest, with the length of Elneny’s injury leaving Arsenal light in the central midfield position with Thomas Partey a player who is also frequently out on the treatment table.
Whilst the Ghanian star is reportedly set to return this weekend to face Brentford, another injury to Partey will spell big trouble for Arsenal with Elneny out until the new year, yet Mikel Arteta could find an answer to his problems in the form of a free agent signing, which some Premier League clubs have already done since the closure of the window.
Both Newcastle United and Wolves have dipped into the free agent pool to sign Loris Karius and Diego Costa respectively, and for Arsenal, here are five players the north London side could recruit for the season to off-set Elneny’s injury, with Partey now the club’s only natural defensive midfielder.
Xeka
Based on Transfermarkt’s player values, Xeka is the highest-rated free agent midfielder yet to sign for a new club since being released by LOSC Lille this summer, where the Portuguese star played a key role in Christoph Galtier’s 2021 Ligue 1 title win with the French underdogs.
A similar player in both style and name to Arsenal star Granit Xhaka, Xeka would be an ideal free agent signing for Arsenal to replace Elneny, with the 27-year-old often playing as the deepest midfielder in Lille’s title-winning system that featured Renato Sanches and Benjamin Andre.
Nemanja Radoja
Another player who is still, surprisingly, a free agent, former Levante star Nemanja Radoja is yet to be picked up by a new club despite being a regular in La Liga since 2014, and for Arsenal, the Serbian international could be ideal as a short-term replacement for Elneny for the season.
An achorman who shields the backline, Radoja could be great as a one-trick pony for Arsenal in protecting the defence and getting the ball out of danger quickly with passes to the wide players, with the 29-year-old no doubt suited to Premier League football.
Ryan Thomas
Ryan Thomas was released by PSV Eindhoven this summer after hardly featuring for the Dutch giants last season, and for a club like Arsenal, the 18-cap New Zealand international could be perfect for the Gunners, with the 27-year-old more than just a central midfielder.
Able to play as a left-winger, out on the right and even at fullback, Thomas is the purest definition of a Swiss army knife player, and this versatility would be perfect for Arsenal given how much overall depth the north London side need in their squad beyond Elneny.
Filip Bradaric
A 2018 FIFA World Cup finalist being a free agent seems almost too unbelievable to be true, but that’s the case Croatian international Filip Bradaric finds himself in with the 31-year-old defensive midfielder still without a club after leaving Saudi Arabia giants Al-Ahli this month.
Once on Cagliari’s books and a product of the famous Hajduk Split academy, Bradaric is perhaps the most conservative but also cheapest option out there for Arsenal to sign as a replacement for Elneny, with the midfielder unlikely to command that big a wage should the Gunners move for the Croatian.
Leo Sena
Edu Gaspar’s appointment as technical director of Arsenal has seen many Brazilians join the club in the proceeding years, so what’s more from the free agent market in the form of Leo Sena, who at 26 is the youngest player on this list and one who could take some administrative effort to bring to the Premier League.
Playing for the likes of Brazilian giants Atletico Mineiro and Spezia, Sena was released by Goias earlier this month, and as a replacement for Elneny and another midfield option in the squad, Arsenal could do with the South American midfielder, who is capable of playing numerous roles in the centre of the park.
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