Journalist Pete O'Rourke is 'sure' that Arsenal are keeping an eye on Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

What's the word?

Mac Allister was impressive as Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar and has scored five goals in 15 games this season.

A central midfielder who typically plays a box-to-box role, the 23-year-old signed a long-term contract before the World Cup - and his value will surely be sky-high should teams now bid for him.

Nevertheless, O'Rourke has told Football FanCast that Mac Allister could be on Mikel Arteta's radar in the summer if he continues to play well.

"If he continues his form from the World Cup between now and the rest of the season, I'm sure a lot of top clubs will be looking at him, and I'm sure Arsenal - we all know they are in the market for a central midfielder, so I'm sure he's on their radar.

"The way Arsenal are going right now, with the project under Mikel Arteta, it's going to be exciting for any potential transfer target."

The right profile?

Arsenal arguably need cover for Thomas Partey in defensive midfield but are well-stocked with more advanced options in Granit Xhaka, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira and Albert Sambi Lokonga.

With just Mohamed Elneny available as a natural number six to cover for Partey, this is a priority area which Arteta perhaps needs to address in his squad depth, but Mac Allister may not be the answer.

Mac Allister typically plays alongside a deeper midfielder such as Moises Caicedo at Brighton and Enzo Fernandez for Argentina, but if he were to move to Arsenal, he may not be able to replicate Partey's abilities in his role.

The Argentinian ranks in the bottom 16% of midfielders for clearances and the bottom 33% for interceptions as per FBref, indicating that his abilities may not be suited for a deeper role.

Given that he is now a World Cup winner on a long-term deal who could attract the interest of many top clubs, it looks unlikely that Arsenal will spend big money on a player of his type in the summer.