The 23-year old, Etienne Capoue has not been in the limelight much until recently, but he has suddenly jumped to the fore as one of the standout players in Ligue 1 this year. The French defensive midfielder has earned high praise for his performances this season from many sources and hence has a number of clubs interested in signing him from Toulouse.

The youngster is an ideal holding midfielder any team could ask for. His solid frame of 6’2 feet is intimidating for the opposition to begin with. There are not many players who can beat him in the air, therefore Capoue can win you most aerial duels in the middle of the park with relative ease. Surprisingly, he has really nimble feet, unlike the usual defensive midfielder. The big midfielder’s ball control and dribbling is impressive too. This man not only helps his team keep a clean sheet, he also helps his team score goals – he possesses the ability to hit colleagues with long-range passes and can chip in with the some assists too.

However, he is not known as perhaps one of the cleanest midfielders. He likes to get his hands dirty. Sometimes a bit too much, as he goes into every tackle with full commitment which is not to every referee’s liking. He almost leaves the referee with no choice but to show him a yellow card. Apart from his propensity to get cards, he will strengthen any team he goes to.

That is exactly why the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and QPR are desperate for Capoue’s signature. Since the departure of Patrick Vieira from Arsenal, former player Alex Song was the closest they got to replacing Vieira in the truest sense. They cannot rely on current captain Mikel Arteta to play the makeshift holding midfielder role for much longer. They are in need of a midfield general who possesses the necessary steel to restrain opposition and help release the likes of Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere to create chances. In short, Arsenal need Etienne Capoue.

However, Tottenham and QPR too are in the frame but I can’t see him going to QPR if they get relegated. So it will be interesting to see if Spurs try to upset for the Gunners’ plans by trying to snatch him up early?