Arsenal have been incredibly proactive in their transfer business this summer, despite being yet to announce a single new signing.
Their pursuit of Declan Rice has been well-documented, whilst their imminent capture of Kai Havertz seems sure to set the ball rolling for what promises to be a transformative transfer window for Mikel Arteta.
The Spaniard will have been pleased with the immense progress his side made last term, but it still concluded without silverware and having dropped their Premier League lead to Manchester City.
Next year must be different, and by heavily bolstering his ranks he hopes this will be the case.
As they also seek to close in on Jurrien Timber, perhaps the 41-year-old tactician could supplement the young Dutchman by signing a teammate who could facilitate the Ajax starlet.
After all, his technical proficiency is one of the most outstanding in Europe for someone in his role, and to unlock that could be to dominate matches even further.
With the 22-year-old keen on striding into the engine room, he would need a capable midfielder to fill in during those moments to avoid creating weaknesses in the back line. Of those the Gunners have been linked with, few could operate in this role with more effectiveness than Southampton's £40m-rated Romeo Lavia.
Indeed, according to reports this morning from Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have been "working" on a move for the last 15 days, although face new competition from Liverpool.
Would Romeo Lavia help Jurrien Timber?
Timber is one of many outstanding products from the infamous Ajax Academy, having been brought up on a philosophy that strives to create the next generation of ball-playing stars. In this example, they have arguably peaked when it comes to defenders.
When compared to other centre-backs across Europe, the youngster ranks in the top 1% for pass completion, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90. He is simply unmatched with the ball at his feet, with even William Saliba (top 35% for progressive passes) and Gabriel Magalhaes (top 25% for progressive passes) nowhere near his level for creating.
His talents would be wasted should he be solely shackled to the back line, and so perhaps an inverted role from the right flank could be in order. Should this be in Arteta's plans, Lavia would surely mark the perfect man to step in, given his intelligence, energy and athleticism despite being only 19 years old.
Last term for the Saints, the Belgian gem outlined himself as more than capable of competing in senior football despite it being his first year at that level. Maintaining a 6.80 average rating in the league, this figure was buoyed by his 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, via Sofascore, which ensured he was the second and seventh-best player in the squad for those metrics.
Writer Felix Keith even noted how impressive the business of the south coast club first seemed, given how "exceptional" this midfield general was performing.
For comparison, his tackling prowess would actually rank him as the joint-best within Arteta's squad, tied only with the ageing Thomas Partey.
In an ideal scenario, both Lavia and Timber will be welcomed to the Emirates in order to supplement one another. The creative excellence of the latter would see him pushed forward, as to exert his influence further up the pitch. This would in turn allow the teenage sensation to showcase his defensive assets by shifting into a right-back role, in which he excels.
Both would get to outline their starring attributes, and surely make this Arsenal team even stronger.
