5 wingers Arsenal might target to complement Ozil

The importance of Mesut Ozil to Arsenal is one that a lot of fans/pundits still can't comprehend. A lot has been said about the German's work ethic and style. However, in all these discussions, it remains clear that he is still a fantastic player.

Ozil has for the majority of his career thrived by being made the heartbeat of the team. Give him the freedom to play and watch him create magic. The demands of modern football have meant that the playmaker role i.e Number 10 has been de-emphasized.

This role has for ages been the exclusive domain of the world's most gifted passers and dribblers. Think Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona, Roberto Baggio among others.

Ozil is a throwback to that era. At Werder Bremen and at Real Madrid, he thrived by having quick, intelligent wingers to play with. This meant that he could thread those eye-of-the-needle passes to either flank for wingers to profit off. His stats at these two clubs were fantastic; 144 assists in 267 games.

This explains why Cristiano Ronaldo was upset when Los Blancos decided to parcel Ozil off to Arsenal for £42.5m in 2013.

Under Arsene Wenger, the 29-year-old had to play with the likes of Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck, and other poor wingers.

Same has happened this season although with Unai Emery now utilizing Sead Kolasinac and Hector Bellerin as wingbacks, it has gotten better.

Arsenal needs to get a decent winger in the January window to complement their magical Number 10, here are 5 potential targets:

#5 Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen)

Brandt could be a great addition for Arsenal

Brandt or Marco Reus down the right, Leroy Sane down the left and Ozil in his customary role sounds like a winning combination. Alas!!! It is something we will never get to see thanks to issues with racism and Joachim Loew's staggering incompetence.

A fresh-faced 22-year-old, Brandt has been one of the better wingers in the Bundesliga for a couple of seasons now.

He is the newest right-footed wing wonder to emerge at the Bay Arena (following in the footsteps of players like Andre Schurrle, Heung-Min Son, Karim Bellarabi amongst others). Brandt is very comfortable playing on either flank or just behind the main striker. His pace and intelligence make him an ideal complement for his countryman at Arsenal.

Having excelled in a similar pressing style at Leverkusen, Brandt would not be fazed by the demands of playing on either flank in Emery's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.

His running style and pace mean Ozil will be comfortable threading those delightful through passes. Alongside another speedster like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the wingbacks, the Gunners will be able to counter-attack better with pace and menace.

It is unclear how much he will cost. However, given his potential, he will not come cheap.

#4 Rodrigo De Paul (Udinese)

De Paul has been magnificent for Udinese

Finally, De Paul is beginning to show fulfill some of the early promises he showed while in Argentina with Racing Club

Now fully established as Udinese's go-to guy, the 24-year-old has been electric this season for the Zebrette. With 6 goals and 3 assists so far in Serie A, he is operating on a different level at the moment.

Able to play on either flank or as a 10, the Argentine international is brilliant at dribbling past players, finding teammates with great passes and crosses and getting in scoring positions.

He has played this season in a free role similar to that which Ozil has at Arsenal. His jinking runs, close control and ability to beat his man make him a viable fit for the Gunners.

Henrik Mkhitaryan has continued to underwhelm while Alex Iwobi isn't the fastest player in the world. De Paul combines the best attributes of both players and is a better goalscorer as well.

He has been linked to quite a number of Italian clubs like Napoli and Internazionale. Arsenal will need to get a move on if they want his services.

#3 Leon Bailey (Bayer Leverkusen)

A Bailey-Ozil linkup could be electric

The young Jamaican is currently having a mare of a season. As Leverkusen has struggled, so too has the 21-year-old. In 16 Bundesliga games so far, he has only managed a goal and an assist.

However, this should not detract from him as he is clearly very talented. Fast, agile and intelligent, Bailey is capable of delivering more than his fair share of great crosses. He is capable of functioning effectively on either flank and while not the tallest player, his dribbling, pace and shooting more than make up for it

An Ozil-Bailey link-up promised to be exciting for Gunners fans if it does happen. The German's passing range will mean that Bailey's pace and dribbling will be better utilized to greater effect.

This will also be good news for Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette as both strikers would also be getting better delivery from the wings.

One of the Werkself's prized assets, Bailey will not come cheap. However, Arsenal's head of recruitment; Sven Mislintat has great knowledge of the market in the Bundesliga. He should be able to negotiate a good deal for the Gunners.

#2 Cengiz Ünder (AS Roma)

Ünder could add extra flavour to Arsenal's attack

One player that has been constantly linked to the Gunners for a while now is the baby-faced Turkish international.

A very left-footed player, Ünder is a youngster who is still finding his feet. However, he has clearly shown enough to suggest that he could be a serious talent in years to come.

Capable of playing on either flank, the first thing one notices about him is his pace. The pocket dynamo is very rapid and exceptional at running with the ball at his feet.

His dribbling abilities are also quite good and he is adept at finding himself in good goalscoring positions. Most of his goals for his clubs; Istanbul Başakşehir and Roma have been long-range crackers.

Linking up with his fellow Turk would add great value to Emery's team. Ünder's pace would take a bit of pressure off Ozil as he will be able to feed off the youngster's energy.

He has shown at Roma, a nice ability to dovetail with other wingers. This could see him establish a great relationship with Aubameyang.

Roma's transfer supremo, Carlos Monchi will be wary of repeating the mistake he made when he sold Mo Salah cheaply to Liverpool. He is likely to ask for at least £54m if Arsenal were to come calling.

#1 Nicolas Pépé (Lille OSC & Ivory Coast)

Pépé looks to be the best option for the Gunners

One of Ligue 1's hottest prospects, Pépé has really lit up France this season. Playing on the right of Christophe Galtier's preferred 4-3-3 formation, the Ivory Coast international has been the go-to guy. 12 goals and 5 assists in 19 games tell the story of a winger in the form of his life.

This makes him perfect for what Arsenal need. This season, Emery has been forced to play Aubameyang on the left to accommodate Lacazette as the lone striker. That the Gabonese striker has gotten as many goals as he has is a testament to his quality

Ozil would really enjoy playing with a young talent like Pépé. The Lille man has been mesmerizing with his pace, dribbling, and intelligence in almost always making the right decision.

Capable of being effective wherever he finds himself, Pépé would be perfect for converting the 29-year-old German's passes to goals or pre-assists for the strikers to feed off.

A £27m fee has been mentioned, however, given his importance to his French side, the Ivorian will likely cost Arsenal much more than that.

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