In their never ending search for a defensive midfielder, Arsenal might have come across a solution in the form of Brazilian international Luiz Gustavo, who doesn’t seem to have a part to play in the new European empire of Bayern Munich.

It’s not surprising to see the 25-year old looking for a new team to play for after yet another midfield addition by Bayern Munich (Thiago Alcantara), and Gustavo already being somewhat of a substitute player last season, appearing in 22 matches, coming off the bench in six of them. With Javi Martinez and Bastian Schweinsteiger taking up the two central midfield spots, before we even mention Thiago and Toni Kroos, Gustavo needs a team he can be more secure in finding playing time.

Not that his status with the club has hurt him when it comes to the national team. Gustavo is part of the winning XI Scolari introduced in the Confederations Cup, winning all five matches en route to claiming the title after beating Spain 3-0 in the final.

As for Arsenal, while they continue to be linked to high-profile players, no one actually seems to be coming their way: Stevan Jovetic and Mario Gotze have been mentioned as potential arrivals for months, but Gotze signed with Bayern and Jovetic with Manchester City. Gonzalo Higuain is nowhere near a signing, and so aren’t Wayne Rooney and Luis Suarez, which makes the need for an impact signing greater than before, with the season only three weeks away and training camps already underway.

While the rumors around Gustavo seem to be media based only for now, with his agent saying there’s nothing to it, looking at Bayern’s squad makes the deal seem like a sensible one for all sides. Gustavo, who has been with Bayern for two and a half seasons, arriving from Hoffenheim in 2011, is valued at around £15 million, and might provide Arsenal with the answer they’ve been looking for in their midfield for a very long time.