Emery & Mislintat must move for £67.5m-rated maestro who can be Arsenal's next Bergkamp - agreed?

There is perhaps no Premier League club more synonymous with creative No.10s than Arsenal. Dennis Bergkamp and Mesut Ozil remain the archetype, but somewhere along that timeline are Samir Nasri, Robert Pires and Cesc Fabregas as well.

Quite incredibly then, Arsenal look set to enter next season without an obvious creator to rely on. Aaron Ramsey’s contract will expire, Mesut Ozil’s future is far from certain, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been incredibly underwhelming during his first year at the club and Alex Iwobi is yet to prove he can be a key player.

So, where could Arsenal’s next Bergkamp come from? Football FanCast lay out five suggested solutions to fill Arsenal’s anticipated creative void, and then give readers the chance to have their say…

James Maddison

He may have only stepped up to Premier League level at the start of the season but James Maddison has been in fantastic form since Leicester City snapped him up from Norwich. The former Coventry youngster is an astute technician, has the creativity to boot and can operate in a number of different midfield roles – something that should appeal to Emery’s preference for making lots of in-game changes to Arsenal’s system.

He lacks physicality but always seems to get around the pitch regardless and already looks capable of making the step up to a higher level. The only problem is how much Leicester will demand for a player they signed on a five-year contract last summer.

Jadon Sancho

Jadon Sancho has enjoyed a perpetual rise since swapping Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund, climaxing with a call-up to the England senior squad earlier this season. He represents precisely the kind of player Arsenal currently lack, a tricky and relentlessly quick winger, and has grabbed seven assists in the Bundesliga already this season as well as six goals.

Like Maddison, his fee would inevitably be somewhat seismic but having already played Champions League football, the 18-year-old feels like less of a risk and a much wiser long-term investment. The chance to prove himself in the Premier League, and more specifically prove Pep Guardiola wrong, should appeal as well.

Isco

Isco’s one of the world’s best attacking midfielders but hes suffered during a difficult season at the Bernabeu and even recently fell afoul of the Real Madrid fans, who booed him during a shock defeat to CSKA Moscow. It’s now being claimed that he wants to leave the club, who intend to use him as part of a deal to sign Eden Hazard next summer.

Arsenal might have their work cut out in convincing Real Madrid to reconsider their approach for the Chelsea talisman, but in terms of style and pedigree Isco is the perfect profile for the No.10 role at the Emirates Stadium. Transfermarkt currently value him at £67.5million and that certainly seems like the right ballpark.

Watch the video below to check out the hilarious things footballers get up to at Christmas…

James Rodriguez

Another Real Madrid talent (technically), James Rodriguez finds himself in the unusual situation of playing for two of Europe’s biggest clubs but not being particularly wanted by either of them. Bayern Munich are yet to exercise the option in a two-season loan deal to sign the Colombian international permanently, and it’s not clear whether he has much of a future at the Bernabeu either.

But Rodriguez showed at the 2014 World Cup just how talented he is, and if Arsenal are in the market for an old-fashioned No.10 who plays between the lines then they’re struggle to find a better alternative that’s also available. This season has been disappointing but last term saw him involved in 18 Bundesliga goals.

Thorgan Hazard

He may always have to accept being stuck in his brother’s shadow but Thorgan Hazard is a talented player in his own right, one who has notched up 19 goals and 11 assists in the Bundesliga since the start of last season. He can operate in a variety of roles as well, featuring as a wide midfielder, a winger, a No.10 and even a striker during his time at Gladbach, so Emery should get plenty of use out of a player who had created as many chances per game as his sibling this season heading into the weekend just gone.

Hazard’s contract includes a release clause but considering it’s due to expire in 2020, making next summer potentially Gladbach’s final chance to sell, Arsenal could end up paying even less to sign the Belgium international.

So, Arsenal fans, who should Emery target as the club’s next great creator? Let us know by voting below…

from FootballFanCast.com http://bit.ly/2CGg5Fz