Who partners Zubimendi in midfield?

Ok so I’m jumping the gun a little here, as this transfer seems like it’s far from a done deal right now but assuming we get the signing of Zubimendi over the line, who out of our current crop would be best suited to partner him in the expected double pivot midfield role next season?

Endo is the obvious candidate and as I’ve mentioned before, my personal preference in this system is to have a destroyer alongside the deep lying playmaker, very much in the mould of Alonso and Mascherano. It would appear that the club would be willing to sell Endo should we receive what the club would deem a suitable offer however and he’s not exactly set the heather alight in preseason. Even if he had though, I don’t think he’s really Slot’s kind of midfielder so who else is a suitable candidate?

Mac Allister played the role many times last season but I think he and Zubimendi are too similar in a lot of ways and that pairing doesn’t strike me as very balanced. Jones has played the 6 on a couple of occasions, one of which he was hooked at halftime and to be honest, while he may be able to do a job there of called upon, I really don’t think it suits his natural game and while we’ve seen Szoboszlai tried in that position, that’s a non starter for me. He’s a goal threat from both inside and outside the box and with his shooting ability, I feel we’d be foolish not to have him closer to the opposition’s goal.

Bajcetic is one who would seem more naturally suited to the role but after a long term injury and rumours he’s to be sent out on loan, he maybe seems like more of a long term solution to the position, rather than the choice for this season.

To that end, out of the players currently looking likely to be starters in the first team this season, I see Gravenberch as the best option. His size and strength bring some much needed physicality to the role, he’s probably our most press resistant midfielder and he’s probably also our best ball carrier in midfield. He’s excellent at picking the ball up and driving forward through midfield, his long stride means he eats up the ground quickly and as the player in the double pivot who’ll have more licence to get forward, I see that ball carrying ability, coupled with his aforementioned physical presence, making him the most suitable candidate for the role as it stands. The only downside is he’s not the most tactically aware or positionally disciplined player, which is why I think we didn’t see more of him last season. He has a tendency to blow hot and cold and go missing for periods in games, although he’s still a young player who was finding his feet in a new league and system last season, so he may now have the groundwork laid to kick on next season and having one of his countrymen as his new coach may also help him to settle. Hopefully anyway as I think we all saw glimpses of a real talent in him last season, just waiting to be unlocked.

What do we think then troops? Assuming the Zubimendi deal goes through, who would we like to see partner him when the real footie gets underway? Walk on!