Arsenal are contemplating moves for two quality central midfielders as Arsene Wenger plans a complete summer overhaul in the position.
With Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Mathieu Flamini seeing their contracts come to an end in the summer, Arsenal have been tipped to strengthen the central midfield position, despite already signing Mohammed Elneny from FC Basel in the January transfer window.
Two of the players to interest Arsenal in that department are Lars Bender of Bayer Leverkusen and Granit Xhaka of Borussia Monchengladbach.
Bender has been linked with a move to Arsenal for quite a while now with the English Premier League side even seeing an official bid rejected by the Bundesliga club a couple of summers ago. However, Leverkusen have now admitted Bender could leave, considering the club do not have the resources to keep world-stars at their club.
"Bayer Leverkusen can't be as arrogant to say that we are creating world stars and they will retire here," chairman Michael Schade was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
"If we are able to create a world star or top player, then one day this player wants to play for one of the top [clubs in the world], of course."
The Telegraph report suggests Arsenal will also make a move for Xhaka, who has been heavily linked with a January transfer to the Premier League, with Chelsea the other club reportedly showing an interest.
Xhaka further opened up the possibility of a move to the Premier League by admitting he wants to realise his "childhood dream" of playing in England.
"I have a childhood dream and that is the Premier League," the Daily Mirror quoted the Swiss midfielder as saying to Tor Fabrik. "Whether I play two or a hundred games in England, I would like to eventually make this childhood dream come true."
While both are quality players, it is difficult to see Wenger bringing in two more reinforcements in central midfield, even with the impending departures of Arteta, Rosicky and Flamini. Elneny will be expected to contribute a lot more from next season, but Wenger might consider bringing in a ball-winning midfielder, if he feels the Egyptian is more suited to the box-to-box style.
