Arsene Wenger's utter contempt for holding midfielders shows little sign of relenting. It's quite incredible that the manager who once partnered Patrick Vieira with Gilberto Silva has continually refused to spend big on an engine room enforcer, instead opting for cut-price additions like Mikel Arteta and Mohamed Elneny or attempting to mould an academy product around the role like Alex Song and Francis Coquelin.

The only time Wenger's appeared to buck that trend in recent years, he splashed out on a midfielder who turned out not to be a holding player at all - Granit Xhaka - and the Switzerland international's failure to provide adequate protection has been one of the Gunners' most obvious, most detrimental flaws over the last two campaigns.

The constant frustration though, is that when Wenger does utilise a true holding option in midfield, they clearly bring a much better balance to it. Elneny is a limited talent by almost unanimous consensus, but it was only after Wenger hooked him off in the north London derby that Arsenal truly began to unravel.

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Perhaps Wenger has a point that the club shouldn't be spending big on midfield enforcers, considering they no longer naturally fit into his philosophy. But the fact is, Arsenal need one who isn't a square peg in a round hole and is rather a proven master of the trade. They don't need to cost a fortune either.

Take Sevilla's Steven N'Zonzi, for example, whose impact in the Champions League on Wednesday night was as evident in United's failure to launch counter-attacks as it was in his own performance.

Asserting his physical dominance, the Frenchman won six aerial duels, made two clearances and two interceptions, which may not sound groundbreakingly impressive but nonetheless highlighted the effective simplicity to N'Zonzi's game.

He doesn't get drawn to the ball like Xhaka; he simply sits in his pocket and provides a platform behind Sevilla's many creative talents, something his pass completion rate of 92% also alludes to.

But what makes N'Zonzi such a viable option for Arsenal, in addition to the fact he's well-experienced in the Premier League from spells with Blackburn and Stoke, is that he's not going to be a hugely costly addition compared to current market rates. Transfermarkt value him at a reasonable £27million but with his Sevilla contract about to enter its final two years, it could require a bid slightly less than that to convince the Spanish side to cash in.

Admittedly, N'Zonzi wouldn't be the most talented player to ever grace the Emirates Stadium. But the 29-year-old is experienced enough in what is becoming something of a niche trade to make Arsenal a far more functional and balanced team. And from that point, the Gunners might start to finally produce the consistent title-chasing form this squad should be capable of.