3 midfielders Arsenal have lined up to replace Mesut Ozil

2. Philippe Coutinho

The second, and arguably more likely option for Arsenal is Philippe Coutinho. When it was revealed several weeks ago that Barcelona had offered the Brazilian to Arsenal many, including myself, got very excited.

Coutinho is a Premier League-proven player who, annoyingly enough, always seemed to come up with the goods when playing at the Emirates Stadium. He has a winning mentality too, having completed his mission of winning the Champions League (something he left Liverpool to set out to achieve, although it did take him some time).

Fresh off the face of this monumental win, he would be a solid addition to Arsenal. His frustrating loan spell to Bayern Munich ended on a high, but it’s not known that they want to sign him permanently, as he isn’t in Barcelona’s long term plans either, with Ronald Koeman likely to axe many players.

This is not indicative of his quality, at all. Arsenal know this. All he knows is a manager that trusts in him and a philosophy he can buy into, which is what the North London club will provide. Mikel Arteta’s project will surely be of interest to Coutinho, who is always interested in bettering himself and the team he plays for.

His maestro-style midfield play would act as a direct replacement to Ozil, as he too is a keen creator. The Daily Star recently confirmed that Coutinho missed Barcelona training, os he could well be on his way out.