Arsenal Transfer News: 'Desperate' Morgan Schneiderlin Not What Gunners Need

Morgan Schneiderlin may be "desperate" to join Arsenal in the summer, but the Southampton midfield destroyer isn't exactly what the Gunners need.

Arsenal have maintained a strong interest in the 25-year-old. The club is even ready to gazump the new contract the Saints will offer Schneiderlin, according to MailOnline reporter Rob Shepherd.

He suggests Arsenal will increase the proposed £60,000 weekly wage Schneiderlin is due from his next contract. Mirror writer John Cross had reported Southampton would make the French holding player their top earner and set a bumper £25 million price tag to ward off Arsenal interest.

But Schneiderlin remains "desperate" to move to north London, according to Daily Express writer Ben Jefferson. He states Schneiderlin has his "heart set on" sealing a summer move.

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This will probably be welcome news to many Gunners fans. But the truth is Schneiderlin doesn't quite possess the skills Arsenal's midfield needs most.

At his best, he's a natural deep-lying, defensive-minded midfielder. Along with Kenyan powerhouse Victor Wanyama, Schneiderlin has formed a formidable barrier in front of the defence that's helped make the Saints the stingiest team in the Premier League.

Southampton have conceded a mere 20 goals all season, per the league's official site.

Schneiderlin's best qualities are of the destructive variety. He makes a lot of interceptions and well-timed, last-ditch tackles.

But Arsenal have found a player capable of doing both in the form of Francis Coquelin. Since returning from a loan spell with Charlton Athletic, the 23-year-old has become essential at the base of midfield.

He's brought positional sense and battling qualities to a key role in the team. Coquelin's influence is more and more obvious every week.

Squawka Football detailed how effective he was in the Gunners' recent 2-1 away win over Queens Park Rangers:

Coquelin is making the defensive midfield position his own. Pairing him with another destroyer is a one-way ticket to a limited, tame attack.

For instance, the Saints may be miserly at the back, but they've scored just 39 goals. That's easily the lowest of any member of the league's top seven.

What Arsenal really need is a complete midfielder, one who will support the defence but also offer plenty going forward. Schneiderlin struggles with the latter.

A better option for the Gunners is AS Monaco linchpin Geoffrey Kondogbia. The 22-year-old schooled manager Arsene Wenger's team when Monaco won 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the UEFA Champions League last 16.

The French star displayed awesome physical power, tough tackling, forward-thinking drive and creativity. It was a performance reminiscent of the best of one-time Wenger midfield warrior Patrick Vieira.

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All of Kondogbia's qualities could be available to the Gunners for just £14.5 million, according to Daily Express reporter David Wright. That's an absolute steal for a player who can influence the game at both ends of the pitch.

It's not as if Arsenal only discovered Kondogbia when he was thundering across the Emirates pitch and bossing a high-profile game. The club was linked with a move as far back as 2013, when Kondogbia had shot to fame with La Liga side Sevilla, per Sky Sports.

Wenger made a great mistake when he passed on Kondogbia that summer. He should waste little time rectifying the error this time.

Kondogbia would give Arsenal a box-to-box powerhouse who would thrive in the increasing counter-attack-based approach the Gunners have adopted this season. His combination of strength and technical quality isn't shared by another member of Wenger's current midfield rotation.

It isn't even shared by Schneiderlin.

The Saints ace is an excellent anchor and a smart and authoritative team leader. But Arsenal really need someone a little more dynamic. Step forward, Kondogbia.