Forget Aouar: Arsenal target who lost possession 30 times can complete Arteta’s jigsaw – opinion

Whilst Arsenal may have secured a deadline beating move for Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey, one area of the midfield that they failed to address over the course of the summer transfer window was the issue with creativity.

The Gunners were in a long-running pursuit of Lyon dynamo Houssem Aouar, but that deal failed to materialise when it appeared the north London side weren’t too keen on matching the demands set out by the French giants.

But, in recent weeks, journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Mikel Arteta’s side are also hot on the trail of another midfield starlet, with RB Salzburg’s Dominik Szoboszlai on their radar amid a potential move in future transfer windows.

Who should Arsenal sign?

Aouar

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Szoboszlai

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And on Wednesday night in the Champions League against Lokomotiv Moscow, the Hungary international proved exactly why Arsenal must forget about Aouar and prioritise him instead.

Aside from scoring a wonderful goal, Szoboszlai was a constant threat for Salzburg, coming in off the left flank and linking up well with the likes of Patson Daka up front.

He was never scared of trying things and always tried to take the lead creatively, and it was no surprise that his total of 78 touches were the highest of any midfield or attacking player for either side.

He provided two key passes, sent in a whopping ten crosses and attempted six dribbles too. It was an all-action display from the 19-year-old, and it was quite telling that even at a young age, he is taking considerable attacking responsibility for a Champions League playing side.

His willingness to take risks saw him concede possession 30 times over the course of the game, and whilst at times he was loose with the ball, his desire to create should be something that is applauded.

Arsenal are crying out for someone to feed the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front. Szoboszlai proved on Wednesday night that he could help complete Arteta’s jigsaw in midfield along with Thomas Partey.