As per reports, Arsenal are looking at Sao Paulo midfielder, Pablo Maia as an alternative for Douglas Luiz this January. The 21-year-old is currently one of the hottest prospects in Brazilian football.
Arsenal have been monitoring Maia for some weeks now. The reports of their interest first emerged in November. However, they are now getting ready to act on that initial interest as moves for other alternatives are proving difficult.
Deals for the first choice targets are complecated
The Gunners have primarily targeted Douglas Luiz and Joao Palhinha of Aston Villa and Fulham respectively. But the deals for both are complicated and more expensive.
With the prospect to sign either of those players fading, its only natural that Arsenal have turned to South America. Brazil in particular has been a familiar source for them in the past. The Gunners have signed Gabriel Martinelli and Marquinhos from the South American market in the recent past. Even in the past, Arsenal have signed players from the Brazilian League. Gilberto Silva, Sylvinho and Denilson were all signed from Brazilian club and made a mark at Arsenal.
What will Pablo Maia bring to Arsenal
One thing that Maia will most certainly bring to the Arsenal squad is depth. If there’s one thing that we learned from last season’s title race, it is that you need a good squad depth to win the league. The Gunners learned this lesson the hard way as they missed out on the title despite staying on top for so long.
Pablo Maia is primarily a deep-lying player. His strengths include ball retention, positioning and finishing. Ball recovery and pressing are his weaker traits, but at just 21 years of age, there is always room for improvement.
With rumors of Arsenal looking to cash in on Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe, they’d need to sign someone to replace them. A young player like Maia would be the perfect choice for Arsenal. They already have a settled midfield and only require backups. An established player would demand a place in the starting XI which might put Arteta in a tough spot.
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