Arsenal Transfer News: Marcelo Brozovic Represents Yet Another Gunners Stopgap

The latest in a factory line of productive midfielders to come through Dinamo Zagreb's ranks, Marcelo Brozovic is being linked with a January move to Arsenal.

Promising though the playmaker is, however, he's yet another example of Arsene Wenger's tendency to chase less-than-adequate reinforcements. Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star quotes the player's agent in confirming Arsenal's interest:

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Croatia plays USA in November in London and during our stay there we will hold meetings and negotiate with several English teams. Yes, I can confirm Arsenal are one of them.

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The north Londoners' needs in central midfield—more specifically defensive midfield—have gone unaddressed for some time now. Captain Mikel Arteta himself has provided a form of stopgap in the void but was never a natural fit as the tough-tackling presence needed.

Others who might have thrived and yet have fallen short of expectations include the card-happy Mathieu Flamini and Abou Diaby, the man whose career promised so much and yet has delivered so little thanks to injury.

Last January, the Gunners still required the same presence to provide some substance alongside Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere, with CSKA Moscow's Kim Kallstrom ultimately brought in as the disappointing "solution."

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Brozovic has played in defensive midfield for portions of this season, but his attributes are more akin to the likes of Ramsey, Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky.

Malanga reports that a £6.4 million has already been submitted for the creative prospect's services, and while not an astronomical amount, it is a hefty sum to spend on one who would find competition tough to overcome—at least to begin with.

Depth is evidently important to the cause, as mounting injuries have highlighted of late, but the 21-year-old strikes as another option in what Arsenal already possess, as opposed to filling the role of something they do not.

Given his age, it's impressive that Zagreb's rising starlet is already gaining substantial playing time in the Croatain national team, and in years to come, he may indeed mimic the success of countrymen Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric.

But Wenger doesn't need a Rakitic or a Modric at present—although such talent would obviously be appreciated—and certainly not an undeveloped version of those stars.

The English giants aren't alone in their interest, either, as Football Italia can attest:

We may be underestimating Wenger in that the Frenchman could well hope to sign Brozovic as well as an anchoring specialist, but then that would seem out of character for the veteran who prefers not to invest in the winter market.

Long have Arsenal searched for an assured, elite option in their engine room, and if Brozovic were to be the January answer to that problem, the hunt would only continue.