Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Gunners Cannot Settle for Nigel De Jong in Midfield

In the hopes of getting another midfielder, Arsenal appears to be redirecting toward Nigel de Jong instead of Yann M'Vila.

According to Mirror Online:

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Arsene Wenger has grown tired of his fruitess pursuit of £17million Yann M'Vila—and has turned his attention to Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong.

The Arsenal boss is looking to get his shopping done early this year and needs to fill holes in his midfield after injuries to Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta.

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To that end, it feels to be a potential move out of desperation more than anything. Considering the injuries, the Gunners need someone who can simply sustain consistent health in the middle. De Jong looks to be an option, but here's a few reasons why settling for him is a mistake.

Nigel de Jong's Style

Despite normally playing on the offensive end, Nigel de Jong plays more defense and is reliable at controlling the middle. The downside is that he doesn't provide much offense or ability to help set up the offense.

He can get interceptions to change the possession and tackle for turnover opportunities, but when he does try to score, de Jong usually attempts from long range. In addition, de Jong plays a lot more physically than the Gunners are used to, which makes the defense more vulnerable against the better passing/scoring teams.

Arsenal's Offense

With so many injuries, Arsenal's best defense is an even more potent offensive attack. Moving the ball around and controlling the tempo must become an enhanced strength as it generates more scoring opportunities.

If we include the fact that keeping the ball on opposing territory is part of the Gunners' offensive philosophy, bringing in de Jong won't make much of an impact.

Sure, he helps the defense, but the fortes of players such as Moussa Dembele and Micah Richards better suit the overall scheme for Arsenal, as we shall see next.

Other Options

Dembele is arguably the best option (and is one according to the Manchester Evening News) because he bolsters the offense by having the ability to pass from anywhere to anywhere and is better than de Jong at controlling.

Defensively, Dembele is much more versatile and will contribute all over. He can play on the wing, near the goal or up toward midfield to push the pace. Possessing the skill set to pass defenders one-on-one and see the field with great awareness, Dembele will increase Arsenal's offensive prowess.

It also helps that he's years younger than de Jong, and would thus better equip Arsenal for years to come.