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Let’s dream for a bit. Arsenal have already signed Alexandre Lacazette, but reports suggest that Arsene Wenger remains interested in both Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar of Monaco. Many view this splurge on attacking talent as a sign that Alexis Sanchez is on his way out, but what if the Gunners are targeting these players to support their Chilean superstar? Could they all fit in the same XI - I take a look below.
Midfield
I think if all these players arrived without Alexis leaving then Arsenal would switch back to a 4-3-3 formation. Arsene Wenger has said he will experiment with many different formations in pre season, but that he intends to start the season with three at the back. You do feel though that if Alexis stayed and Mbappe and Lemar arrived, he’d have little option but to try and accommodate all that talent straight into the XI. I can see Xhaka anchoring the midfield as a deep lying playmaker, and then Arsene attempting to play Lemar and Ozil as central midfielders. Lemar has played most of his career as a w
DM - Granit Xhaka
Granit grew into this role as the season went on last time around and I think this season he will cement his place in the starting eleven and continue to improve. At the base of the midfield he can play with the game ahead of him and dictate the tempo.
CM - Thomas Lemar
Lemar has played most of his career as a winger but he does have the attributes to thrive in a central midfield role. He has the stamina and on the ball ability to thrive in a more central role and I have a feeling that Arsene sees him as a potential central player should he sign.
CM - Mesut Ozil
Ozil needs to play deeper in my opinion, as in the number 10 role he often gets frozen out of games, he has played in this deeper role for Germany alongside Toni Kroos and excelled there. Surrounded by the energy of Lemar and the calming presence of Xhaka at the base, I think this midfield trio could work, certainly in games where Arsenal are playing lesser opposition, anyway.
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