Why Arsenal should plot a January swoop for Jacob Bruun Larsen

Back in July, a report from the Sun had claimed that Arsenal were battling with Manchester United for the signing of Borussia Dortmund’s highly-rated winger, Jacob Brunn Larsen.

The Dane, 20, joined Dortmund in 2017 and rose through the ranks, flourishing game after game. He scored twice and recorded a further two assists in 24 league outings for Dortmund last season, and his breakthrough campaign at the Signal Iduna Park had attracted the attention of some English clubs.

In March 2017, Dortmund extended Larsen’s contract until 2021, meaning the club would demand a decent fee to part with the starlet, who saw first-team opportunities become more frequent during the latter stages of the season – in which Dortmund finished runners up in the league.

Arsenal were one of those clubs keen on getting Jacob Brunn Larsen’s signature but a deal didn’t go through during the summer transfer window. Unai Emery had prioritised strengthening his defence and bringing in a winger which he achieved ahead of the new season’s start.

However, things haven’t gone according to the scripts for the Gunners, who capitulated to the rock bottom Watford side after going 2-0 up at half-time to draw at Vicarage Road on Sunday.

The defensive partnership of David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos hasn’t worked out, while Nicolas Pepe is yet to hit the ground running in the Premier League.

Emery will be worried about his team’s defence, who have conceded 96 shots in the league so far. While the Spanish tactician could take a dip in the January market for a new central defender, he must also look to bring in a wide-man following the departures of Danny Welbeck, Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Jacob Bruun Larsen would be a good fit at the Emirates. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Reiss Nelson are both capable of playing down the left but the former thrives in a centre-forward role, while the latter is still very young and inexperienced.

Not only would Larsen add more creativity to the Gunners’ attack with his dribbling skills, speed and movement, but also the young Dane’s arrival would boost Emery’s squad significantly.

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While the 20-year-old isn’t a prolific goalscorer, his impressive style of play and huge potential are there for all to see, and it was why he earned his first senior cap for Denmark in March.

He is surprisingly hard to push off the ball and combines his flair with energy and pace to terrorise the opposition. Suffice to say, Larsen will only improve going forward.

Verdict

Arsenal could certainly do well with a creative left winger, and that is exactly why the addition of the highly-rated Larsen in January makes sense.