Five German midfielders who could follow Mesut Ozil to Arsenal.
Arsenal have long been known for their significant French contingent but the arrival of Mesut Ozil on transfer deadline day could lead to a German revolution in the red half of North London.
Lukas Podolski has already hinted that more of his compatriots could follow Ozil to the Emirates Stadium, where Per Mertesacker and youngsters Thomas Eisfeld, Gediom Zelalem and Serge Gnarby are already on the books.
We take a look at five German international midfielder who could follow Ozil to Arsenal:
Marco Reus
Reus is a left winger who is equally adept at both getting chalk on his boots and cutting inside. The Germany international, 24, was impressed in Borussia Dortmund’s run to the Champions League final last season, while outscoring more celebrated teammate Mario Gotz in the Bundesliga with an impressive 14 goals. If Arsenal lined up with Reus and Theo Walcott either side of a top striker, with Jak Wilshere, Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla providing the service, the Gunners would be one of the most frightening attacking outfits in Europe.
Ilkay Gundogan
The 22-year-old was another to rise to prominence during Borussia Dortmund’s run to last season’s Champions League final and showed a maturity beyond his years to net an ice cool penalty in the heartbreaking 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich at Wembley. Gundogan spent much of last season operating as a deep-lying playmaker behind the more offensive duo Gotze and Reus, and the diminutive Germany international could do a similar job for the Gunners, with Ozil and Cazorla pushing on.
Sami Khedira
Manchester United reportedly had a deadline day bid rejected for the Real Madrid enforcer, while Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was also linked with a reunion with Khedira during the transfer window. But after Ozil’s arrival at Arsenal, it would hardly be a surprise to see Khedira follow his former Los Blancos teammate to the Emirates. The box-to-box midfielder, 26, likes to protect the back four and has all the attributes to be a huge success in the Premier League, particularly in tandem with Arsenal’s other majestic midfielders.
Lars Bender
Arsenal reportedly had a bid for the 24-year-old midfielder rejected by Bayer Leverkusen this summer, before eventually opting to re-sign Mathieu Flamini on a free transfer. Like Gundogan, Bender is a Germany international who is hoping to be included in the World Cup squad ahead of next summer’s tournament in Brazil. Bender likes to keep things simple and enjoys a tackle and would therefore perfectly complement Arsenal’s classy midfielder trio of Cazorla, Wilshere and Ozil.
Julian Draxler
Unlike Bender and Gundogan, Draxler is an attacking midfielder, who can play centrally or from the left, hardly a priority for the Gunners given Ozil’s record-breaking arrival. But at 19, Draxler is one of the most prodigious talented young players in Europe, who will surely go on to establish himself as one of the finest playmakers in world football. The Schalke star can create and score in equal measure and would represent another significant coup for the Gunners.
