Jamie Redknapp: Nemanja Matic would have been perfect for Arsenal

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The Sky Sports pundit believes the Chelsea midfielder would fill a hole in Arsene Wenger’s current squad.

Former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp says Nemanja Matic would have been perfect for Arsenal.

The Chelsea midfielder, who rejoined the club he left for Benfica for a fee of £21 million, has become a regular in Jose Mourinho’s side during his second spell at Stamford Bridge and has drawn heavy praise for his consistent performances.

Arsenal, by contrast, have been criticised for their lack of a top-class holding midfielder.

And Redknapp thinks Matic could have been the perfect solution had the Gunners prised him away from a return to the Blues.

“I looked at the performance of Nemanja Matic this week for Chelsea and thought ‘how good would he be in an Arsenal shirt, giving the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil the platform to go and play?’” Redknapp wrote in a Sky Sports column.

“Arsenal haven’t got anyone like Matic, with the power and physicality to go and get the ball back and stop other teams playing. That’s a position Wenger needs to try to fill before the window closes.”

The Serb, 26, registered the third-highest amount of Premier League assists (4) for Chelsea last season, despite only moving to west London in January.

And, as Opta stats show, Matic also registered the second-highest amount of tackles won per game for Mourinho’s men, impressing equally with his passing, interceptions, clearances and aerial duels won.

Arsenal have been linked with defensive midfielders Lars Bender and Sami Khedira this summer, although no bids have been forthcoming from the Gunners.