Arsenal's January transfer window has been a quiet one so far.
After spending more than any other Premier League club over the summer, the Gunners are yet to make any first-team additions as Monday night's deadline fast approaches.
However, Mikel Arteta's side are certainly in need of midfield reinforcements, with Mohamed Elneny currently at the Africa Cup of Nations whilst Ainsley Maitland-Niles was allowed to join Italian outfit AS Roma on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
Bruno Guimaraes was said to be one target for technical director Edu but the Lyon star appears to be on his way to Newcastle United, according to recent reports.
The Athletic have claimed that both Ruben Neves and Douglas Luiz are potential targets for the north Londoners and here football.london takes a closer look at the midfield pair and attempts to analyse who would be a better fit for Arteta's system.
Both Luiz and Neves are defensively sound and whilst neither player is necessarily regarded as a midfield destroyer, they both aren't afraid to get stuck into battles in the centre of the park.
Luiz has attempted 2.23 tackles per game in the Premier League this season, marginally less than Neves' 2.65 but the latter is dribbled past a whopping 2.18 times per game, far more than the former, who is beaten on average 1.46 times per match.
The Gunners have often been caught in transition during Arteta's reign as head coach and the Villa star appears to be stronger in that regard whilst also reading the game to a higher level, providing 2.36 interceptions every 90 minutes, far superior to Neves, who manages just 1.47.
Whilst Luiz profiles better than Neves from a defensive standpoint, it is the Wolves ace who has far superior numbers when comparing their on-the-ball skillset.
The Portuguese international registers 4.71 progressive passes and 6.88 passes into the final third per game. Comparatively, his midfield counterpart has managed just 3.18 and 2.48 respectively, illustrating the Brazilian's passing frailties
Assuming that any signing would take Granit Xhaka's place in the centre of the park, Arsenal will need a midfielder who can control games with their passing, find playmakers Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe between the lines whilst also supporting Thomas Partey in the defensive third.
Xhaka's playstyle is somewhat similar to Neves considering they are both progressive passers and neither player is a defensive machine, however, the latter profiles much higher in terms of tackles, interceptions and pressures.
Luiz is certainly the most accomplished defensively of the three, although his skill set doesn't necessarily match up as an ideal replacement for Xhaka, meaning that the Wolves maestro is definitely the better fit.
Both the Swiss international and Partey were suspended for last weekend's 0-0 draw against Burnley as Belgian international Albert Sambi Lokonga was tasked with holding the midfield down on his own, an unfair ask considering he is still adjusting to life in the Premier League and is still just 22 years old.
During the stalemate, Lokonga often played sideways passes instead of attempting to break the lines, an understandable choice given his age.
Bringing in Neves to the side would help improve the Gunners in this regard, with the former Porto star often beating the opposition press or a deep block with a cultured line-breaking ball.
A move for the 24-year-old makes a lot of sense for the north Londoners but they would likely need to wait until the summer if they want to tempt the Portuguese maestro away from Molineux.
Speaking in November, Wolves boss Bruno Lage all but confirmed that none of his main players would be allowed to leave in the winter window.
“The main point for January is that everyone should continue with us", Lage said.
"For me, no one goes. Everyone continues with us. Maybe we need one or two players to improve our squad.”
