Arsenal interested in out-of-favour World Cup winner – Should Arteta opt out of the race?

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Why Arsenal should avoid signing Corentin Tolisso

According to BILD (h/t Daily Mail), Bayern Munich are willing to offload midfielder Corentin Tolisso and Arsenal are one of the admirers of the World Cup winner.

The report also suggests that Manchester United, Juventus and Atletico Madrid have also registered an interest in Tolisso. Bayern Munich want to sell him in order to make way for Bayer Leverkusen’s highly-rated starlet Kai Havertz.

Tolisso, 25, came through the ranks of Lyon’s youth system and made over 150 appearances for the Ligue 1 side’s senior team. He was very successful in his time at the Groupama Stadium that earned him a move to Germany with the Bundesliga Champions.

Corentin Tolisso (Getty Images)
Corentin Tolisso (Getty Images)

He was also impressive in the World Cup and played a key role in France’s success in the tournament. In his first season in Germany, he featured in 40 games and was a part of the side that lifted the Bundesliga title. But since then, he has struggled with injuries and has lost his place in the starting line-up.

Meanwhile, the arrival of Mikel Arteta to North London has brought optimism within the club but the Gunners are still struggling to put in a string of consistent performances. The manager has won just 2 of his 8 games in charge but the 4-0 win vs Newcastle earlier should give them a lot of confidence.

One of the major reasons for Arsenal’s inconsistency is their lack of options in the defensive unit, which has been shaky throughout the season. The forwards have been supported at a decent rate by the midfielders and the manager needs to bring in reinforcements for their backline.

Corentin Tolisso (Getty Images)
Corentin Tolisso (Getty Images)

They have a plethora of talented central midfielders in Joe Willock, Matteo Guendouzi, Dani Ceballos, Ainsley-Maitland Niles, and Bukayo Saka. Attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil has also risen to the fore since the change in management. It is clear that they don’t need midfielders and therefore, signing Corentin Tolisso would make no sense.

Tolisso has featured in only 10 league games this season and has fallen down the pecking order. He was at his best in Lyon but the last two seasons have been hard on him. He could not play in more than 2 league games last campaign due to injury.

Tolisso may be just another player in Arsenal’s ranks if a deal goes through. The youngsters in the squad have shown their potential in the last few games and they would be able to carry the team in a few years’ time.

Corentin Tolisso (Getty Images)
Corentin Tolisso (Getty Images)

The Bayern Munich man needs to revive his career and there would be no time for Arsenal to give him that space. The Gunners need to invest in top-quality players who can turn things around for the club.

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Verdict

The Frenchman is prone to injuries and this could be a burden for the manager. Instead, Arteta can look to strengthen the other departments. Therefore, there is absolutely no need for the North London outfit to sign Tolisso, who would mostly end up on the bench.