Arsenal's hunt for the new Patrick Vieira could see them land the man who has been dubbed by that very name, with Krystian Bielik set to zoom into London to complete a move.
Arsene Wenger is in the transfer market for a defensive midfielder, and while Bielik might not exactly be the immediate solution – he is only 16 – the Legia Warsaw teenager has been tipped for a bright future, hence the "new Patrick Vieira" nickname.
The player himself confirmed he is set to "fly to London" for talks with Arsenal, even if he admitted he is yet to make a decision on whether to sign on the dotted line to become Wenger's latest recruit.
"I'm flying to London," Bielik was quoted as saying by the Daily Star. "I have to think about it, I still do not know what decision I make.
"I have to decide what will be best for me. For now, however, I focus on the games for Legia."
At 6ft 2ins, Bielik is already a big boy at just 16, and if there is one manager who knows a young player when he sees him, it certainly is Arsene Wenger.
However, signing Bielik will not solve the defensive midfield issues for Arsenal at the moment; they need to go in for a more established player, someone who can go into the first team immediately and give the midfield that extra bit of steel and physical presence.
Arsenal have been linked with several names in the January transfer window, including William Carvalho, but Wenger has received a boost in his hunt for a defensive midfielder, with Morgan Schneiderlin refusing to commit to a new contract, according to the Daily Mirror.
Schneiderlin has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal as well as their North London rivals Tottenham, and a path to a January move could be opened up if the impasse remains.
The France international has shown he is more than capable of holding his own in the English Premier League with numerous impressive performances for Southampton over the past couple of seasons, and Arsenal will certainly add plenty of quality to their midfield if they do succeed in tempting Schneiderlin to the Emirates in January.
