Arsenal have been graced with many fantastic Spaniards in the modern era of the game, ranging from the exuberant Cesc Fabregas early in his career to their current boss and ex-skipper Mikel Arteta.

But one player they haven't really been able to replace yet is Santi Cazorla, who departed the club in 2018 after six years.

The little magician regularly racked up goals and assists in an attacking midfield role under Arsene Wenger before injuries blighted his Gunners career. Across the 2013/14 and 2014/15 campaigns, Cazorla notched a total of 11 goals and 21 assists across the Premier League and the Champions League, via WhoScored.

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That void is still felt today with the north Londoners knocked out of the Europa League and sat in ninth place in the top-flight.

This week, Sky Sports have claimed that Arteta is an admirer of Valencia midfielder Carlos Soler, who was once dubbed the next David Silva - a player very much in the mould of Cazorla.

Soler could cost Arsenal around £36m, which is a price mentioned by the Express in a recent report.

His addition would mean that the Gunners wouldn't be making Dani Ceballos' loan move permanent this summer - something mooted by the Daily Star, but they do race interested from a couple of La Liga clubs, too.

The Madrid man hasn't really done anything of note since his full debut against Burnley, those two assists have been his only since whilst he hasn't got on the scoresheet either. Ceballos also went missing in big games against Liverpool and Manchester United, failing to recorded above a 6.51 WhoScored rating.

Allowing Ceballos' loan to come to an end and swooping for Soler could be the best solution for Arteta to fill that playmaking void, especially given the 23-year-old's exploits this term.

He's bagged three goals this term, including one against Chelsea, which bodes well for his chances of making a better impact than his national counterpart.

One scout report has lauded Soler's skilful natural ability along with other attributes such as his 'smart positioning, good dribbling and ability to combine in a tight space.'

That sounds exactly like a certain Cazorla.

Arsenal can surely do no wrong in swapping Soler for Ceballos this summer.

AND in other news, Arsenal fans would happily SWAP Pepe for this winger...