Arsenal are expected to overhaul portions of the playing squad this summer to enable them to challenge on all fronts next season and one position they’re keen to strengthen is in midfield.
Mikel Arteta has Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka and Jorginho to provide substance, but he doesn’t have the same amount of depth in the playmaker role, so Arsenal could look to sign a creative midfielder when the summer transfer window opens.
Christopher Michel of Sport1 said via Patrick Berger on Twitter that the Gunners are ‘pushing’ to sign Jesper Lindstrøm. The 23-year-old joined Eintracht Frankfurt from Brondby IF in 2021 and has gone on to make 70 appearances in all competitions, scoring 14 goals with 13 assists.
Arteta does have Marin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira at his disposal, but Odegaard is the only one of the trio pulling his weight. The 24-year-old has scored 10 goals with seven assists from 27 league games and regularly captains the side, so he’s indispensable.
Smith Rowe, however, has made 10 appearances across the board but hasn’t started a single game. The 22-year-old has amassed only 109 minutes of football in the top-flight due to injury, so his long-term future at the Emirates is uncertain.
Then there’s Vieira who joined from FC Porto last summer. The 22-year-old has made 28 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals with six assists. He’s started only two league games under Arteta, so his debut season hasn’t quite gone to plan. Arsenal might want to upgrade Vieira and Lindstrøm isn’t a bad option.
The Danish international, who has one goal in nine caps for his country, has made 31 appearances for Frankfurt this season, scoring nine goals with four assists. He’s contributed 11 goals in 22 Bundesliga games, creating 19 chances, making 28 successful dribbles and whipping in 45 crosses.
Lindstrøm has an market value of €30m (£26m), according to Berger, so he wouldn’t exactly break the bank. But Arsenal are sure to have multiple names on their transfer wishlist, so time will tell if they make a move for the 23-year-old. Frankfurt are resigned to losing him this summer, so the North Londoners shouldn’t be met with any resistance in negotiations.
