Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Lars Bender, Morgan Schneiderlin

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will look to bolster the base of his midfield with an authoritative presence this summer, according to reports, with Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin and Bayer Leverkusen’s Lars Bender touted as potential targets for the Gunners.

John Harvey of Metro claims that one player could be a more realistic option than the other, however. According to his piece Barcelona are keen on the German international despite their current transfer sanctions and that could push Arsenal toward a summer pursuit of Schneiderlin.

Here’s how the two players compare in league action so far this season:

	Bender	Schneiderlin
Appearances (Sub)	18	16 (1)
Goals	1	3
Assists	2	0
Average Passes per Game	42	61.1
Pass Completion	68.5%	89.2%
Average Tackles per Game	3.2	3.2
Average Interceptions per Game	2.9	2.2

Steve Bardens/Getty Images

Bender is a player who has been a loyal servant to Bayer Leverkusen despite their recent penchant for falling just short of major success. Recently, they’ve not quite been capable of challenging for the very top spots in Germany and in European competition—while they’re a regular presence in the knockout stages of the Champions League they rarely make deep runs.

That’s no slight on Bender, however, who is a fine defensive midfielder:

Leverkusen have a surfeit of intricate attacking midfield men in their team and as such are renowned for playing a vibrant brand of football. But the underpinning resilience Bender gives the side is imperative to those kinds of players flourishing.

As noted by German football expert Alex Chaffer, the midfielder is a hugely important player for Roger Schmidt’s side:

Somewhat intriguingly, Bender isn't too astute in possession, as we can see by the aforementioned comparison. That's not something that wouldn't typically see him appeal to the technique-based philosophies preached by both Barcelona and Arsenal, making their interest a little peculiar.

But from the latter’s perspective, it’s the ferocity in the tackle, reading of the game and fundamental defensive abilities that would better enhance this current squad.

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

The former of the aforementioned teams remains a bigger pull than the Gunners at this juncture. But if Bender does eventually decide to move on to the Camp Nou, those who frequent the Emirates shouldn’t be too disheartened, especially if it prompts the Arsenal hierarchy into a pursuit of Schneiderlin.

He’s a player who Bleacher Report’s Arsenal correspondent James McNicholas thinks the club must target at the end of the season:

Whether the Southampton man is currently a better player than Bender is another discussion entirely, but what’d make Schneiderlin the more ideal purchase is his familiarity with the rough and tumble nature of English football.

Ian Walton/Getty Images

As noted by Squawka Football toward the end of last year, Schneiderlin is a player who boasts an array of attributes too:

Those kinds of qualities would make him perfect for Arsenal. There’s a panache and poise about the midfielder's play that complements his supreme defensive diligence, but you suspect that if Southampton are looking to cash in on the player this summer then there will be a host of potential suitors aside from the Emirates club.

For Schneiderlin, Arsenal would be the perfect place to blossom. He’d command a regular starting berth at the heart of an extremely talented midfield and is the kind of player who could expedite Arsenal’s shift from top-four challengers to potential league title winners.

While he may be a costly purchase, that kind of hypothetical scenario means it would be money well spent by the Gunners.