Julian Brandt of Borussia Dortmund is reportedly among players courted by Arsenal ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.
According to a recent Q&A session at The Athletic, David Ornstein has revealed that Arsenal are among the clubs interested in Julian Brandt. The Gunners are apparently speeding up their plans in the transfer market and could, therefore, be in for a busy time in the upcoming January window.
Arsenal were primarily interested in the services of Red Bull Salzburg’s Dominik Szoboszlai, but the Hungarian ended up joining RB Leipzig. And now, it appears Mikel Arteta is keen on the services of Brandt, although the club has made no official attempt to sign the Borussia Dortmund playmaker just yet.
Once regarded as one of the best talents in German football, Brandt has had a steady downfall in his game over the past year or so. He is indeed one of many players who has endured a difficult 2020, mainly struggling with a lack of game-time under ex-BVB head coach Lucien Favre.
In particular, in the ongoing campaign, the miraculous rise of Giovanni Reyna, combined with Marco Reus’s return to full fitness has seen Brandt fall down the pecking order. In fact, the German international has only six starts in the Bundesliga so far this season. Overall, he has mustered fewer minutes than 17-year-old newcomer Jude Bellingham in all competitions.
While it’s always the easier option to blame Favre for Brandt’s recent downturn in fortunes, it is fair to point out that the playmaker has been given enough chances to prove himself. Unfortunately for the ex-Bayer Leverkusen star, he has never really managed to find his form, often struggling in the number nine or even his preferred number ten position.
Brandt’s tentative nature on the ball, combined with his massive decline in form does not bode well for Arsenal, knowing they simply cannot take any unnecessary risks in regards to the transfer market.
The Gunners have already had their fair share of troubles creating chances in the final third, especially with Mesut Ozil being ostracised from the first-team. It has left the club hugely dependent on the services of youngsters like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. So the arrival of someone like Brandt, who loves more freedom on the ball won’t really be an ideal move given the physical nature of the Premier League. But it remains to be seen if Arsenal do make a move for him this winter.
