Arsenal can finally secure Patrick Vieira replacement if Mikel Arteta gets his wish

Arsenal: Arteta 'right' to drop Aubameyang

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Arsenal could be set to raid Premier League basement boys Sheffield United for the signing of talented midfielder Sander Berge this summer. The 23-year-old has been thoroughly impressive since joining the Blades from Genk last year, becoming an undroppable under Chris Wilder as the club surged to a ninth-placed finish at the end of the previous campaign.

This season, he has rarely featured as the result of a hamstring injury that has been keeping him out of action since December, and could be in line to seek a summer exit once United’s inevitable relegation is confirmed.

Arsenal are among the sides to have recently been mentioned in connection with Berge, and could do far worse than to secure his signature at the end of the season.

The Gunners are in dire need of improvement in the middle of the park, with their current options failing to inspire to say the least.

Although a strong performer on his day, Granit Xhaka is more of a liability than a top-class defensive midfielder, while Thomas Partey has struggled to set the world alight since making his highly-anticipated move from Atletico Madrid in the summer.

Meanwhile, Dani Ceballos will return to Real Madrid in time for next season and Mohamed Elneny is nowhere near good enough to start on a regular basis for a club of Arsenal’s size and stature.

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The truth is that the Gunners have lacked a top-class defensive midfielder since the long-departed days of Patrick Vieira and the ‘Invincibles’.

Vieira was essentially the complete No 6, with his strength, size and aggression serving him well both in the air and when duelling for possession.

He was also a formidable distributor, more than capable of starting his side’s attacking phases from deep, and benefitted highly from his encyclopaedic knowledge of the game and what it takes to break up possession at the highest echelons of the sport.

Although Berge is still a long way from being considered on the same level as a player like Vieira, he could still prove to be adequate replacement for the Frenchman in the years to come.

A marked difference between the two would be Berge’s lack of ferocity when compared to the Arsenal legend, but this is an attribute that can be cultivated over time with experience and physical development.

The Norwegian midfielder’s other qualities bear all the hallmarks of a player with the potential to excel at the base of the Gunners midfield.

He can operate effectively as a deep-lying playmaker thanks to his cultured range of passing, and is also an excellent dribbler, able to surge up the pitch with surprising levels of speed and diligence for a man standing at six feet and four inches tall.

Berge’s imposing frame allows him to match the aerial ability of the vast majority of his opponents, and could also provide a much-needed psychological advantage over smaller, trickier attackers who might struggle to cope with the physicality of a holding pair consisting of the Norwegian and Partey.

Although he possesses a number of crucial traits that could help him to thrive at a top six club, he is not quite the finished article, with his work rate and one-footedness letting him down at times.

However, the technical and mental benefits of being coached by Mikel Arteta at Arsenal would likely stand him in good stead to improve rapidly while adjusting to his new environment.

Berge could be a long-term solution to Arsenal’s midfield problem that has spanned almost two decades, and the Gunners would be silly not to snap him up with Sheffield United said to be willing to accept a relatively modest fee of around £22million to part ways with their man.

Of course, it would take some time for him to blossom into a world-class player, but he has shown no reason why he cannot fulfil his lofty potential under the guidance of Arteta.

At his current ability, he would still do a job in the Arsenal midfield and offer an improvement to the likes of Xhaka and Ceballos.

It remains to be seen whether the north London club will lodge a summer bid for Berge, but with a number of other Premier League clubs reportedly eyeing the midfielder, they could be missing a trick if they let their opportunity pass.

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