Why Julian Weigl would be a brilliant signing for Arsenal
According to a report from the Daily Mirror, Arsenal are interested in Borussia Dortmund midfield ace Julian Weigl, with the German topping a list of potential targets chalked out by the Gunners’ head of recruitment, Sven Mislintat.
Julian Weigl, 23, was plucked away by Sven Mislintat from 1860 Munich back in 2015 when he was a part of Borussia Dortmund. After making waves under former manager Thomas Tuchel, the 23-year-old has somewhat lost his way in the last 18 months.
He’s not been a regular starter under Lucien Favre this season, as the new manager has preferred Axel Witsel, Thomas Delaney and Mahmoud Dahoud ahead of him.
The German international has a contract at Signal Iduna Park until the summer of 2021, so Dortmund are expected to ask a lot of money for one of their prized assets in January. But the main question arises – should Arsenal go for Julian Weigl?
Arsenal spent heavily during the summer transfer window as Emery replaced Arsene Wenger at the Emirates. And the Gunners have made a bright start to the 2018/19 campaign as they currently sit 5th in the Premier League table. The signs are very optimistic about Unai Emery’s side mounting a sustained challenge for the Champions League places this season.
Arsenal’s interest in Weigl suggests Unai Emery’s plans to bolster his midfield ranks, especially with Aaron Ramey likely to be leaving at the end of the season.
Ramsey is out of contract at the end of the season and has not been offered an extension by the board. The Gunners will sell the Welshman in the New Year if they receive the right offer, the report claims.
That could open up a space for Weigl at the Emirates, although the German would not be a direct replacement for Ramsey. A deep-lying playmaker, Weigl is a classy operator of the ball and excels in reading the game and intercepting the play. He is a fantastic distributor of the ball and has tremendous body balance which makes it hard for the opposition players to dispossess him.
The five-cap German international’s strengths are his vision and composure in possession, while he is also aggressive when it comes to screening the defence.
Weigl, however, lacks physicality and pace, and is hardly a goal-threat. Nevertheless, his other attributes could make him a major asset at the Emirates stadium. Truth be told, Weigl would offer more efficiency than Granit Xhaka, who has blown hot and cold so far this season.
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Considering his lack of playing time at Dortmund, Emery should take advantage of the situation by luring Weigl to the Emirates in January.