Many column inches, Twitter feeds and (fan) TV screens have been filled with messages of lament towards the current situation at Arsenal, after the Gunners fell to yet another embarrassing defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.Arsene Wenger's position as the club's manager has been hotly debated for what seems like an eternity and, while off the field issues may indeed be the root of many of their problems right now, that night at Selhurst Park was rather poignant in a way.For the first time in recent memory, the Arsenal support appeared to turn on the players somewhat. The loyalty Le Prof shows to individuals who constantly let him down is undoubtedly one of the key issues afoot here, though those donning the famous red shirt are doing a rotting club no favours of freshness.In fact, rather glaringly, the same deficiencies that have plagued Arsenal over the years remain as evident in their first-team. Clearly, that's another aspect of their crisis that can be attributed directly to Wenger, though if he is to stay on in charge, what's the point in moaning?One of the most disappointing motifs of this dreadful campaign at the Emirates have been the relative failures of their expensive summer signings. Upwards of £30m was splashed out on both Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi, though neither have had the desired impact.Xhaka, in particular has been a failure. Brought in to add some steel to an engine room without any sort of bite, the Swiss seems to be chaneling the sort of aggression required in all the wrong ways. Already sent off twice in the Premier League, the former Borussia Monchengladbach man has only been directly involved in five goals this season.With that in mind, perhaps revisiting a move for a player they reportedly considered last year would be a wise move this summer. Just under 12 months ago, Napoli midfielder Jorginho was strongly touted as a target for the Gunners, though a deal for the Brazilian never came to fruition.Indeed, as the infographic below (information collected by analyst Tiago Estevavo and @TiagoEstv on Twitter) shows, the 25-year-old is one of the most effective deep-lying playmakers plying his trade in Europe.Â
The position in which he operates is crucial to the manner in which Arsenal are setup to play. Acting as the midfield pivot, Xhaka has struggled to either start attacks quick enough against top opposition, or break them up in the slightest. Granted, the open manner in which Wenger sets out his teams barely helps the Swiss international, though few would argue he's been doing himself any favours.
To get a true sense of just how important the aforementioned berth is to the Gunners, think of the calming effect Santi Cazorla has on the team. The Spaniard sews the tapestry of possession together as an assured presence in the middle of the park, keeping everything in balance.
Going off the information above, Jorginho looks like a natural option to try and replicate that, with Cazorla so often struggling to keep fit for an extended period of time. The former is amongst the best on the continent in his role, with only Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Michael Carrick and teammate Amadou Diawara dispossessed less often.
His impressively high pass completion rate (89.7%) lends itself to the Arsenal way of playing, while the fact he's able to mix up his game with 3.3 long balls PG suggest he'd bring a much-needed Plan B with him.
What Arsenal need, more than anything, is a better option to operate as the pivot of their midfield. Even if a new manager comes in, relying solely on the injury prone Cazorla, or the ill-disciplined Xhaka is surely no long-term strategy.
With that in mind, Jorginho could offer a perfect hybrid of the two and finally give Arsenal a presence in their midfield.
https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/wenger-signings.mp4