3 Midfielders Arsenal Boss Unai Emery Will Target This Summer

Arsenal's midfield is stocked with quality but in the form of under-performing players. Granit Xhaka has spent two years at Arsenal and is yet to win over the Arsenal faithful. His offensive output is of no concern but his defensive play needs a lot of work.

Jack Wilshere is still yet to live up to his potential and, if rumours are to be believed, he might make a move away from Arsenal to find his footing. Meanwhile, Santi Cazorla has left the club on a free to Villarreal in an attempt to kick-start his playing career.

Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil have been very consistent with their output but they are both divisive figures among the Arsenal faithful as they look like they could offer a lot more than what they are at the moment.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has settled into the Arsenal squad, but it is too soon to judge him. Alex Iwobi's growth curve has plateaued but Mohamed Elneny is about as rock-solid a back up as you can get.

Arsenal have a good set of midfielders. But they do lack a real defensive midfield presence. Xhaka was brought in for that particular task, but his lack of defensive contributions is frustrating. They also lack a genuine attacking threat on the wings.

Here's a look at three potential targets the Gunners could target to strengthen their midfield.

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#1 Marouane Fellaini

Marouane Fellaini scored the winner against Arsenal at Old Trafford this season

Marouane Fellaini is well accustomed to life in the Premier League. The 30-year-old Belgian is out of a contract this month at Manchester United and, apparently, Fellaini's very difficult relationship with Mourinho is stopping the contract renewal from materializing.

Arsenal have been being linked with an unlikely move for the experienced midfielder. Fellaini is literally a towering presence in midfield. Although he has been deployed as an attacking midfielder or even a striker by Mourinho, the Belgian might do well at a deeper midfield role at Arsenal.

Fellaini isn't the move that will excite the fans, but capturing the Belgian for free might be a very astute move. He will add physicality and Premier League experience at essentially zero cost.

The potential downside will be that Elneny could be pushed further down the pecking order. This would also mean that young midfielders such as Ainsley Maitland-Niles might have fewer opportunities to show fans what they are capable of.

#2 Steven N'zonzi

Steven N'zonzi will be a very good signing for the Arsenal midfield

Unai Emery is apparently very keen to be reunited with Steven N'zonzi. Although Sven Mislintat prefers Watford's Abdoulaye Doucoure, Emery has apparently pushed for signing N'zonzi.

Emery had signed N'zonzi at Sevilla and is keen to bring the French player back to the Premier League. N'zonzi is also accustomed to life in the Premier League having represented Stoke City before making the move to Sevilla.

The 29-year-old is an all-action midfielder. His dominating and physical presence might just be what Arsenal needs to soak up opposition pressure. He is also good at releasing the ball and starting attacking plays.

N'zonzi has made it into France's 23-man squad for the World Cup. Arsenal will be watching the midfielder closely and hopefully will do enough to convince the experienced Frenchman to sign for the North London club.

#3 Gelson Martins

Martins is eager to make a move away from Sporting Lisbon in the summer transfer window

Arsenal sold both Theo Walcott and Alex Oxalade-Chamberlain last season - both pacey players who were comfortable playing down the wings. This season Arsenal have rotated Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Iwobi and even Danny Welbeck down the wings.

Arsenal need a bonafide winger who sticks close to the touchline and is capable of cutting in and shooting or staying wide and firing crosses into the box. Without this facet to their play, Arsenal lack variety in their attack.

Gelson Martins is one such player who could definitely provide that creative spark on the wings. The 23-year-old Portuguese was reportedly furious that Sporting turned down an initial £26 Million bid from Arsenal.

The young winger was a vital player for Sporting Lisbon last season. He managed to score 13 goals and make 13 assists across all competitions. But his relationship with the club has soured over the last few months.

Sporting's president threatened to suspend 19 players due to a drop in their performance levels. This strained relationship was further worsened when the players were attacked during a training session by fans who were furious that the club had missed out on Champions League qualification.

Sporting has publicly announced that they will only negotiate bids starting from £39 million. Arsenal might find it difficult to part with that much for one single player considering their meagre budget.

But Martins will surely bring an added dimension to Arsenal's game. Only time will tell if a move is on the cards.