A world-class defensive midfielder is, or at least it should be, a requirement for Arsenal this summer. Arsenal are desperate for that opposing presence to offer security in front of the back four, who although have performed excellent throughout last season, were often caught out during a counter attack following the lack of a mobile defensive midfielder. Flamani and Arteta performed okay when called upon, but both are reaching the ends of their careers, and neither can play the amount of games, or of the level, required for Arsenal. Once, they were very good. However, age has a damning impact on a player’s pace, and for Arsenal’s midfield, it simply isn’t there anymore. It’s okay when we’re bombing forward, but going the other way, certain players, like the afore mentioned, really struggle to get back and help out the defence. They’re good squad players, but what Arsenal need now is a dominant powerhouse in the middle of the park, someone imposing, with the energy, drive, and tactical mentality to go with it. Javi Martinez has all of these qualities and more.
Martinez is a defensive midfielder by trade and preference, having also been frequently used as a central defender throughout his footballing career, which is a clear sign of his versatility, and more importantly the defensive strengths of which he possess. He’s a 25-year-old Spanish international, with his best years ahead of him, and he already has the technical quality that Wenger craves in his players—no matter how defensive minded they are. Already, it’s clear he’d be perfect for Arsenal’s midfield, who thrive on short passing, and possession play, similar to the likes of Bayern Munich and Spain. He fits in the same mould as Busquets for Barcelona, providing the security in front of the back four, without sacrificing technical ability and forward-thinking link-up play. I’d go as far to say that he has the potential to be a lot better than Busquets; Martinez offers more as player, he’s stronger, and is an excellent ball carrier, and Spain manager, Del Bosque, has gone as far as to compare him to the likes of the great Patrick Viera—and comparisons don’t come better than that. It’s a measure of the quality of Martinez, emphasised further by the €40 million fee Bayern paid Athletic Bilbao for him in 2012—smashing their transfer record in the process. Martinez would bring driving power to Arsenal’s midfield, he’d sit when needed, and charge forward whenever the opportunity presented itself, similar in the way Vieira operated and, even closer, Yaya Toure operates. The player has stated himself he feels too restricted at Bayern, preferring to move more freely in the midfield, without being glued in front of the back four. You’d think a manager like Wenger would recognise this and tell him to play more freely, in order to affect the game more, but without sacrificing his defensive needs. He only played 18 games in all competitions for Bayern last season, a number that would surely double if he played for Arsenal, who greatly require his talents and attributes more than the German giants. His talent would be appreciated and channelled into something special at Arsenal. He could have a glittering career with the gunners, and more importantly, he could fill a much-needed missing piece. In addition, if Arsenal weren’t looking for a centre back, which I don’t believe they are, then Martinez would offer support in that area.
He might be a little unsettled at Bayern with a lack of game time, and being played out of position, or at least not in the way he was expecting, but it would still take a huge effort for Arsenal to prise him away. Smashing a team like Bayern’s transfer record doesn’t come without its problems. It’s unlikely that they would ever sell Martinez at a profit loss, forcing Arsenal to splash out £40+ million, which already brings the deal closer to the transfer graveyard. If Arsenal really were willing to splash the cash freely, then they wouldn’t have worried about fitting Fabregas into the squad, and budget; they’d have simply done it. On the flipside, however, defensive midfielders don’t come any better than Martinez in the current market. He has everything you could want in a midfielder. He’d be perfect for Arsenal. If Arsenal are going to spend big on a defensive midfielder, then I’d rather it Martinez than anyone else. He’s a cut above the rest.