Arsenal have made an excellent start to life under the stewardship of Unai Emery.

The Gunners ended the Premier League season without Champions League football in Arsene Wenger’s final season at the club. The Arsenal board placed their faith in the former PSG manager to fill the legendary Frenchman’s boots. Emery has made an excellent start to life in north London, improving the side both offensively and defensively.

The ex-Sevilla manager spent wisely in the summer, and Lucas Torreira has made an instant impact in the engine room, although his midfield partner, Granit Xhaka, remains a divisive figure at the Emirates. His great performances are usually overshadowed by lacklustre defending and sloppy passing. The January transfer window is approaching, and Emery would be wise to sign a more suitable partner for Torreira.

One man who he should target is Borussia Dortmund lynchpin Julian Weigl.

Valued at £22.5 million by Transfermarkt, the 23-year-old emerged as one of the world’s most promising defensive midfielders after breaking into the Dortmund first-team at an early age. However, Weigl has found himself out of favour this season, starting just two games in the Bundesliga so far, with injuries hampering his progress. As such, the German could be tempted to depart in January and Arsenal’s sporting director Sven Mislintat should raid his former club again.

The youngster is a fantastic tackler and would add real steel to the Gunners midfield, averaging an impressive 2.8 tackles per game in the Bundesliga last year. Weigl loves to dictate the play from midfield and completed 86% of his passes in the league last season (WhoScored). If he can rediscover his best form, he could form an excellent double pivot at the Emirates.

Weigl’s potential is massive, and the Germany international is perfectly suited to Emery’s system. In the Premier League, and under the stewardship of the Gunners chief, he could develop into one of the world’s best.

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