Arsenal in talks to sign ‘crazy’ midfielder who could be their new Xhaka

Fatigue. This is one of the main reasons for Arsenal’s woes at the end of this season.

Combine that with a lackluster attack and it’s no wonder Mikel Arteta’s side’s standards have plummeted.

In the past month and a half, the Gunners have crashed out of the FA Cup, lost in the Carabao Cup final and dropped nine points off the top of the Premier League.

Much has been made of the Gunners’ impressive squad depth this season but that has not been what has saved them in the last few months of the season.

So, it’s going to be a busy summer, where we could see a lot of moves to make room for new arrivals.

Arsenal’s summer plans are leading them to an exciting midfielder

The biggest fear for Arsenal fans this summer is that they are forced to cash out on their most exciting players.

That does not mean that someone like Bukayo Saka or Declan Rice will leave, but there has been concern that Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly will leave.

Last season, the Hale End duo were in incredible form but it will be a completely different story in 2025/26. Their lack of football means they can be sold and because Arsenal will have a net profit from his exit, it’s a curious proposition.

But, that doesn’t mean Arsenal aren’t interested in youth. Max Dowman is emerging, and they have agreed terms to sign Ecuadorian twins Holger and Edwin Quintero from Independiente del Valle, the same club that produced Moises Caicedo and Piero Hincapie to name a couple.

In a bid to boost their future even further, they welcome Vasilije Kostov of Red Star Belgrade to the Emirates Stadium.

Just 17 years old, reports earlier this week suggested that Arsenal were in fact closing in on a £10m transfer bid for the player. A flight to London could be arranged later this week.

However, Fabrizio Romano insists that a deal has not been concluded, despite ongoing talks with Kostov’s agents.

Reporting the latest, Romano said: “Arsenal are after Kostov and they are following him closely. They have contacted people close to the player and are thinking of looking for him. It is too early to say if they will close the deal but Arsenal are interested. They have been scouting and following this boy.”

Where Kostov can fit into the Arsenal team

It’s safe to say that one of the biggest problems in recent months has been Arsenal’s pitch.

Forget their inability to create clear goalscoring opportunities, without Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi at the top of their games, Arsenal’s machine and ability to escape opposition pressure has fallen by the wayside.

The level of Rice has not decreased in a bad way but for Zubimendi, he feels disappointed by his partner in crime.

All in all, the Spaniard has been a good signing but he is undoubtedly paying the price of fatigue. No outfielder at the club has played more minutes in 2025/26 than the former Real Sociedad man.

However, it seems that Arteta has struck gold with a small tactical tweak. Against Atletico on Wednesday, both of them switch roles. Rice played deep when the midfielder Zubimendi played in the 8.

You have heard for a long time that Arsenal are still looking for a solution in that 8th position. It is one they have struggled to nail down since Granit Xhaka left in 2023.

Kai Havertz was billed as a natural substitute but ended up playing as a striker and while Rice thrives up front, he feels his qualities are better served deep in the pitch.

So, can Kostov fix this problem? Let’s analyze his best qualities.

This season, the Serbian midfielder has played in many positions, not only as a right winger but also as a number 10, number 8 and as a holding midfielder.

At just 17 years old, the youngster is yet to make his prime but for now, you’d have to say he’s on the move. From 22 outings as an attacking midfielder, Kostov has scored 12 goals and provided four assists. In fact, in all of his last nine league games, he has found the net six times.

As one commentator on social media put it, “he has one of the best box-to-box skills in world football.”

This is a bold statement for someone so young but there is reason to believe here that he is cut from the same cloth as someone like Aaron Ramsey, the man who became famous for scoring goals in Arsenal’s midfield.

However, he is arguably the closest in style to the 2022/23 Xhaka. At that time, the Swiss worked as 8. He brought him closer to the goal, although he was still unable to drop deep to connect the play and provide passes that broke the line.

In fact, since his move to Sunderland this season, no player has scored more passes than him (8).

In this case, Kostov is the same. Como scout Ben Mattinson describes his best qualities as follows: “Kostov is a deep-lying player with both feet and close control in tight spaces, a quality ball that hits distance and a long pass that breaks the game.”

Some experts of the child’s game commented that “his passing is crazy and the number of dangerous but beautiful passes he makes everywhere is amazing.

“He’s not a big man or a driver. But he can’t be pressed and he’s got good skills on both feet.”

While Kostov may not have the duel-winning defense and dogged reading of the game that Xhaka does, when it comes to passing, breaking open play and breaking into the box, the two are closely aligned.

Perhaps this is the solution Arteta has been wanting in the no.8 position.