Ex-Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes his former club should make a move to sign Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister in the January transfer window.

The Argentine, who has five caps for his country, has started the new season in blistering form and Petit believes the 23-year-old could improve Mikel Arteta’s options in the middle of the park:

“Not signing Arthur Melo isn’t a big miss for Arsenal. But I know they were looking for that link between the midfield and striker. If I were Edu, I’d make an offer for Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton – I really like him.”

Mac Allister plays in a double pivot alongside Moises Caicedo at Brighton, which is similar to how Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are deployed by Arteta in Arsenal’s midfield.

The Seagulls star would not require any adaptation time and he would, therefore, be a good option to come in midway through the season.

However, Mac Allister would probably be better suited as an alternative to Xhaka. The Gunners were looking for replacements for Partey before the summer window closed so it remains to be seen if their focus will shift in the New Year.