Bogdan Maran/Associated Press

Nobody is allowed to be themselves these days. Every player can only exist as a continuation of what's gone before. In accordance with this, Arsenal are allegedly preparing to make a move for "the next Cesc Fabregas" and bring Barcelona's Munir El Haddadi to the Emirates.

The Moroccan-born player is one of the standout youth prospects at Camp Nou, and Arsene Wenger is said to be interested in acquiring his services.

According to Metro, El Haddadi is yet to sign a long-term deal with the Catalan giants, which has got the attention of other clubs looking for midfield talent.

The 18-year-old is generally regarded as a winger, but Wenger could bring him into the Arsenal lineup in the role Fabregas made his own during his time in London. However, with Theo Walcott out of the lineup for the rest of the year, he could make a good contribution out wide.

He's not a complete player yet and while his touch is generally excellent, his close control occasionally lets him down. He is an incredibly bright prospect and shows a lot of promise, but Arsenal need a player who can contribute right now.

They need someone who can drop straight into the side and start scoring goals from midfield. While El Haddadi has scored some wonderful goals in Barcelona's youth setup and could make his mark at the highest level in a year or two, it would be unwise to expect him to shoulder that sort of burden this early in his career.

David Moyes may be letting Adnan Januzaj have an extended run in the side, but the Belgian has at least been on the fringes of the side for a little while. Even with that extra experience, Januzaj is regularly hurried off the ball with the more physical defensive presence the Premier League offers.

Moyes has been unhappy with the way Januzaj has been offered very little protection by the referees. El Haddadi would receive the same treatment as opposing players would look to intimidate him, knock his confidence and force him into errors.

Wenger has a good record of developing young players but any move for El Haddadi would remain a risk. Even if it pays off, it's not a signing that will put Arsenal at the forefront of the title race but instead remains an intriguing option for the future.