Lars Bender
Of all the positions we need to strengthen, defensive midfield is the most important. Even before Coquelin’s injury we were extremely light in the middle of the park and Leverkusen star Lars Bender would be an excellent addition to solve this problem.
The 26-year-old German international is one of the best defensive midfielders in the Bundesliga and has similar qualities to Mikel Arteta, with a bit more steel in the tackle that the Spaniard lacks.
He would cost somewhere between £15-£20m, but at just 26 and entering his peak years, the fee would be more than worth it to bring quality into a position we severely need to strengthen.