Why Arsenal should snap up Liverpool’s Adam Lallana in the summer

According to the Telegraph, Arsenal are one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana on a free transfer in the summer.

The 31-year-old has made only 19 appearances in all competitions this season, with just three of his Premier League showings coming as a starter. Despite his lack of game time and injury problems over the past few seasons, Adam Lallana is not short of admirers. Leicester City, Tottenham and West Ham also remain interested in the midfielder, who hasn’t got any signs of an extension to his Liverpool deal, the report adds.

As far as Arsenal are concerned, they signed Pablo Mari on loan from Flamengo during the last week of the January window. Southampton’s Cedric Soares then followed days later, with the Portuguese right-back signing a six-month deal at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners have struggled defensively this season, conceding 34 goals in 25 league games so far. Hence, Mikel Arteta did a smart job of strengthening his backline in the mid-season trading period. Shifting the focus to Arsenal’s midfield, Arteta has plenty of options to pick from.

In Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi, Dani Ceballos, Mesut Ozil, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Joe Willock, the North London giants are well-stocked in the midfield department. But as Ceballos’ season-long loan from Real Madrid expires at the end of the season, Arteta should view Adam Lallana as a potential replacement for the Spaniard and snap him up in the summer.

Despite his lack of action and injury problems over the last few seasons at Anfield, Lallana is a quality midfielder with solid Premier League experience. The Englishman is a versatile player as he is more than capable of playing in various positions across the midfield and the attack.

Such versatility should come handy for a young tactician like Arteta, who has steadied the Arsenal ship since replacing Unai Emery permanently.

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Since the start of the 2017-18 season, he has returned just one goal and three assists in 50 appearances, but he has still contributed while on the pitch. Now 31, Lallana has a few more years at the top level and his availability on a free transfer in the summer indeed makes him an attractive prospect.

Verdict

Arsenal must definitely make an attempt to sign an experienced player in the ilk of Lallana to bolster their midfield ahead of 2020/21 campaign.