Arsenal Opinion: Arsenal have to make a move for Serie A star Luis Alberto

With Aaron Ramsey’s move to Juventus confirmed (Guardian), Arsenal are set to lose someone who has ensured his place in the club’s history, and also as a captain and a leader in the dressing room. That will be a massive blow and replacing Ramsey’s energy and creativity as a box-to-box midfielder will be very difficult especially in this transfer market.

To make things worse, players like the Welshman aren’t produced anymore, i.e. someone who has that delicate balance between offensive and defensive abilities.

The box-to-box midfielder role is dying out and the ones that are available, won’t suit Arsenal given their meagre summer transfer budget (Mirror).

However, if there is one man who can replace Aaron Ramsey for Arsenal, it’s former Liverpool flop Luis Alberto. While he didn’t have the best time at Anfield, Alberto has transformed himself into one of the best box-to-box midfielders in world football during his time at Lazio.

Moreover, what makes him a perfect fit for Arsenal and manager Unai Emery is the fact that he strikes the perfect balance between offensive and defensive abilities. He arrived in Italy as a shadow of the player he could have been after what was a miserable time at Liverpool.

But things changed after Alberto saw a sports psychologist, and the 26-year-old improved leaps and bounds. He finally fulfilled the talent that many saw in him as a young midfielder at Barcelona.

Last season saw Alberto at his very best, finishing the season having produced an incredible 33 goals in all competitions.

This included 16 assists and 11 goals just in the Serie A, and it showed exactly why he can fit into Emery’s plans. The former Sevilla boss uses a similar style of play to what Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi does, playing out from the back.

And like the Lazio boss, Emery also expects all his players to do their fair share of work defensively, which is what Alberto has perfected in the Serie A. He arrived with incredible technical skill, creativity, an eye for a pass and lethality in front of goal.

However, what he lacked was a consistent output for any of his sides, struggling at Liverpool and Malaga.

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Conclusion

But like many before and many after him, Luis Alberto found consistency and defensive nuance in Italy. His time at Lazio has helped him not only perfect his offensive talent but fine tune his defensive skills as well. That’s exactly what makes him close to the perfect man to replace the outgoing Aaron Ramsey.