Mikel Arteta aren’t short of attacking-midfielders with Martin Odegaard, Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe at his disposal, but Arsenal could be signing another playmaker if reports are to be believed.
According to Deutsche Welle via Sport Witness, the Gunners are interested in Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Brandt who has an uncertain future as he’s out of contract in 2024.
Big things were expected of Fabia Vieira when he joined Arsenal from FC Porto last summer, but the 22-year-old hasn’t enjoyed the best debut season.
Vieira has scored only two goals with six assists from 27 games in all competitions and doesn’t hold down a regular starting place under Mikel Arteta, so the Gunners might be looking to upgrade him.
If Dortmund can’t tie Brandt down to a new deal beyond next year, they might have to cash in early while he still has value rather than risk losing the 26-year-old on a free transfer.
The German international joined Dortmund from Bayer Leverkusen in 2019 and has gone on to make 159 appearances in all competitions, scoring 29 goals with 30 assists.
Brandt has made 32 appearances across the board this season, scoring nine goals with five assists, so he’d greatly improve the Arsenal squad.
Dortmund paid €25m (£22m) for the 26-year-old four years ago, so they’d likely want their money back if they were to sell. Brandt has a market value of €28m (£24.7m), so that might be in the ballpark of how much Arsenal would have to spend.
Deutsche Welle say they have competition from Tottenham Hotspur too. The North London rivals are showing an interest in Brandt as they don’t have a playmaker who operates in the attacking-midfield role.
Heung-min Son and Harry Kane are two of Spurs’ top-three best chance-creators but are strikers. Dejan Kulusevski and Ivan Perisic are two of Tottenham’s top-four best creators but operate out wide. So the Lilywhites need a central option who can play behind the striker.
Brandt shouldn’t break the bank, so Spurs could battle Arsenal for his signature in the coming months. Dortmund are still trying to agree a new deal with Brandt, however, so there is a possibility he could stay in Germany. Time will tell where he ends up.
