The emergence of Francis Coquelin at the turn of the year, in which he returned from a loan spell at Charlton Athletic before establishing himself as an integral part of the first-team set-up, played a huge part in Arsenal's positive end to the domestic campaign.

Many supporters fear, however, that the Frenchman's shining qualities may dissuade manager Arsene Wenger from delving into the transfer market this summer to add further defensive midfield options.

Plenty of star players remain available should the Gunners boss opt to strengthen that important role in his side, with Sports Mole picking out five of the best below.

1. Morgan Schneiderlin

For the best part of 18 months now, the Southampton midfielder has been heavily linked with a move away from St Mary's due to his impressive displays on the South Coast. Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Arsenal have all reportedly been tracking the Frenchman, although he is not likely to leave his current club unless a bid in the region of £24m is made this summer.

Many will argue that, should the Gunners indeed cough up that cash, then it will be money well spent. A physical midfielder who is comfortable on the ball, it is hard to think of a player out there who will suit this Arsenal side better than Schneiderlin. A look at the statistics highlights just why the former Strasbourg product is so highly rated, having made more tackles and interceptions combined (626) than any other Premier League player over the past three seasons.

While Coquelin has impressed immensely since breaking into the Arsenal first-team fold, the North London club need a player who can help build attacks from the back, pushing forward into more advanced areas when required. Again, this is something that suits Schneiderlin just fine, as his days at Southampton have gone to show. The Saints won nearly double the number of games with their key man in the side last season compared to when he was absent, but they may finally have to say goodbye in the coming months should a high-money offer be made.

2. William Carvalho

It was not so long ago that the Portuguese starlet was being linked with a move to every top side in Europe, including Arsenal who are said to be long-term admirers of the holding midfielder. Interestingly, Carvalho has always had a soft spot for the Gunners due to his idolisation of Thierry Henry when trying to make a name for himself in the game - albeit in a different position on the field altogether.

Despite currently representing Portugal Under-21s at the European Championships in the Czech Republic, Carvalho is hardly a youngster aiming to make a name for himself at the age of 23. Handed his Sporting debut four years ago, the £30m-rated star is likely to be sold by the Primeira Liga outfit this summer in order to balance the books somewhat.

During a loan spell at Cercle Bruges earlier in his career, sporting director Yvan Vandamme compared the physical player to Manchester City's Yaya Toure, before adding that he would only get better with age. Carvalho has openly admitted that a Premier League switch would be a "dream", so the ball, it seems, is very much in Arsenal's court at this moment in time.

3. Geoffrey Kondogbia

Yet another player in this list who is rumoured to be coveted by both Arsenal and local rivals Tottenham, Kondogbia will offer plenty of defensive resilience in front of the back four to help those further forward truly flourish.

Speaking to Sports Mole last month, former Spurs midfielder Andy Townsend suggested that Wenger should forget about signing a player who is good on the ball and instead look for someone who is simply there to break up attacks, such as the Monaco man. Kondogbia is not in the side to create goals - playing a part in just three all of last season - but instead used as an anchorman to protect others.

An average of 3.1 tackles per game in Ligue 1 last season, and 4.1 when helping the French club reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the 22-year-old has already gained the attention of many admirers for his no-nonsense displays on the biggest stage. That is not to say that Kondogbia is afraid to get forward if needs be, as witnessed against Arsenal in Europe's elite club competition earlier this year when his powerful bursts were on show for all to see first hand, while his goal on that disappointing Emirates night will also stand out in the minds of many Arsenal supporters.

4. Jordy Clasie

Perhaps resigned to losing his key midfielder, Southampton boss Ronald Koeman revealed last month that Jordy Clasie was the man on the top of his transfer wishlist should Schneiderlin join Arsenal. Ironic, then, that the Netherlands international should himself be linked with a switch to North London in recent weeks.

Cutting out the middle man in many ways, Wenger could surprise many and go with a somewhat left-field option by signing a player who would cost considerably less than others mentioned in this list. In fact, at around £12m it may be a case of the French boss keeping faith with Coquelin in the centre of the park while at the same time bringing in a player with undoubted quality in that position to help with squad rotation.

He may be just five foot six, hardly a vintage size for a player to dominate in that holding role, but Clasie's performances were impressive enough for Louis van Gaal to call him up to the Dutch squad for last year's World Cup. Six goals and two assists in the 2014-15 Eredivisie season, combined with 1.3 key-passes per game, the 23-year-old knows how to combine attack with defence - 2.7 tackles per game - which should stand him in good stead should a Premier League switch go ahead.

5. Lars Bender

At the age of 26, Bender boasts more experience than most players linked with a move to Arsenal while also having his best years ahead of him. Capped 19 times by Germany, the versatile Bayer Leverkusen enforcer kept some of his best performances for the European stage last term, boasting a pass-completion ratio of 74% in the Champions League at a rate of 1.3 key-passes per game.

Of course, statistics only tell half the story, but it comes as little surprise to see fellow big-name sides Manchester City and Barcelona reportedly show an interest in Bender's services. Arguably the most important aspect of any Arsenal target is the player's ability to remain composed on the ball, which is something the German can adequately tick off.

In fact, Bender regularly outscores fellow holding midfielders when it comes to defensive statistics, although his lack of creativity from deep - three assists all season - may put some teams off his reported £20m price tag. That said, the Rosenheim-born ace has a superb range of passing which, alongside someone of Santi Cazorla's ilk in a double-pivot, could work masterfully at the Emirates Stadium.