Just when it started to look like Arsenal were pretty much done with incomings this month, Mikel Arteta sent another clear message to sporting director Edu on Wednesday, claiming that he would ideally like more cover in midfield.
The Spaniard’s admission came after football.london’s Arsenal correspondent, Kaya Kaynak, asked Arteta if a potentially long-term injury for Mohamed Elneny could see the club dip back into the market.
“There are concerns, especially [because] Mo is a player who never complains about anything. But let’s see,” Arteta said during his press conference. “We need some more cover in midfield ideally if we can. In this market it’s pretty complicated to do that.”
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As the Arsenal boss touched on, finding a sufficient option with just five days of the window remaining could prove challenging. The Gunners have been linked with moves for West Ham’s Declan Rice and Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, but they would likely cost at least £70million each.
Meanwhile, Juventus’ Weston McKennie has also been mentioned as a possible target, but reports in Italy suggest he is nearing a move to Leeds United having agreed personal terms. With uncertainty growing at Goodison Park, Amadou Onana has emerged as another potential choice, though again, he would not come cheaply and is also gaining interest from Chelsea.
Whilst the aforementioned names cannot be ruled out, Arsenal will know that the clock is ticking and their options could dwindle. So it begs the question - who else can they look to? Well, Albert Stuivenberg can play yet another key role in finding a solution following his involvement in Leandro Trossard’s arrival.
After reassuring Arteta about the Belgian’s attitude, Stuivenberg could point his superior in the direction of Sheffield United’s Sander Berge as midfield solutions are sought. Berge was on Arsenal's radar in 2021 and Arsenal’s assistant manager worked with him at Genk, previously praising the 24-year-old’s ability, claiming he is “intelligent, reads the game well, and takes the initiative”.
Stuivenberg also stated that Berge has the potential to become a “future leader”, which is a quality Arteta likes his younger player to possess. Since arriving at Sheffield United for a club record £22million in 2020, Berge has made 87 appearances, scoring 12 goals and registering nine assists in the process.
Earlier in his career, Berge also made 17 Champions League and Europa League appearances combined, handing him valuable experience should he return to a club with European football. Another interesting link to Arsenal which could prove beneficial is Berge’s friendship with club captain, Martin Odegaard. Both midfielders represent the Norwegian national team and have often met up since they arrived in England.
The Blades would likely demand a sizeable figure if Arsenal - or another suitor - ever came in for Berge, but they have shown a willingness to negotiate should a sufficient offer be made, as we saw with Aaron Ramsdale’s move in 2021.
Having been linked with the likes of Rice and Caicedo, Berge may not be a fan favourite, but a combination of his qualities and the connections to those already inside London Colney make it a sensible transfer this late in the window. With Elneny’s long-term future uncertain, Berge could be viewed as his replacement, allowing Arteta to target a bigger name to compete with Granit Xhaka in the months ahead.
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