Arsenal eyeing “extraordinary” midfield monster

We’d say it most years, however this time, it feels notably true: this summer time goes to be a large one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s facet discovered themselves ending runners-up within the Premier League for the third time on the bounce this season and ended a fifth marketing campaign working and not using a main trophy.

So, whereas holding their star gamers match and on the pitch goes to be key to lastly getting over the road subsequent season, it is simply as essential that Andrea Berta and Co assist the supervisor by bringing in some sensible skills within the coming weeks and months.

The excellent news is that, primarily based on latest experiences, that appears to be occurring, because the Gunners have now been linked with a midfield destroyer who’s received comparisons to the legendary Patrick Vieira.

Arsenal’s midfield mix-up

Whereas followers and pundits alike are calling for Arsenal to exit and signal a brand new quantity 9 and at the very least one winger – understandably so – it is arguably simply as necessary that the membership usher in some midfield reinforcements.

In spite of everything, Jorginho left to hitch Flamengo and, primarily based on latest experiences from Fabrizio Romano, the talks over a brand new contract for Thomas Partey aren’t advancing, and the opportunity of him leaving is now “concrete.”

Fortuitously, the Romano has additionally reaffirmed that the deal to signal Martin Zubimendi from Actual Sociedad is about to proceed, with the membership providing round £51m set to be paid in installments.

But, that also means the Premier League runners-up might be quick a midfielder until they transfer forward to signal Lucien Agoumé.

Sure, in keeping with a latest report from Spain, Arsenal have an interest within the Sevilla star.

The report claims that the Gunners see the younger Frenchman as a possible substitute for Partey, though to get him by means of the doorways, the Spanish facet might want to purchase out the remaining 40% of his rights from Inter Milan.

It is unclear how a lot he would price Arsenal, however because the £17k-per-week gem joined the Andalusian facet for €4m – £3.4m – final summer time, he may not price an excessive amount of.

Furthermore, with comparisons to Vieira and the opportunity of seeing him play with Zubimendi, it is a deal value pursuing.

Why Agoume could be an incredible signing

So, earlier than how he may complement and study from Zubimendi, it is value trying into this comparability to Vieira and the place it comes from, as the previous Invincible is undoubtedly certainly one of Arsenal’s biggest gamers ever.

Properly, on this occasion, it stems from the revered expertise scout Jacek Kulig, who accomplished a profile on the teen all the best way again in 2019, when he concluded that the star most much like his model of play was the Gunners’ former captain.

He got here to this conclusion by mentioning the mirrored strengths in his sport, resembling his potential to manage the midfield by means of a mixture of pinpoint correct passes and immense bodily and psychological power.

These attributes have not left him within the years since that preliminary report both, with knowledge analyst Ben Mattinson waxing lyrical about him within the winter, describing him as somebody who’s “composed at dictating the tempo,” a “good dueller” on the bottom and within the air, and simply as importantly, is a primarily defensive midfielder who’s “very progressive.”

We are able to see plenty of this in his excellent underlying numbers, with FBref inserting him within the prime 3% of midfielders in Europe’s prime 5 leagues for share of profitable take-ons, the highest 4% for tackles plus interceptions, the highest 5% for simply interceptions, the highest 9% for common shot distance, the highest 12% for targets per shot on the right track and extra, all per 90.

So, if Partey goes to be leaving and Zubimendi goes to return in because the beginning six, that might create the right atmosphere for the Sevilla ace to return in as an understudy to the Spaniard, study the position with out a lot stress and finally – maybe earlier than some would count on – start to offer some actual competitors.

Furthermore, given his similarities to Vieira in his tenacity and silky passing vary, there is no such thing as a motive he could not begin in a double pivot with the Sociedad star in sure video games or come off the bench to type one when the workforce want to carry on to a lead.

In the end, the “extraordinary” ace, as dubbed by former Sevilla supervisor Enrique Sanchez Flores, may not be a family identify simply but, however Agoumé appears like he is on observe to changing into one, and subsequently, Arsenal needs to be doing all they will to signal him now, earlier than his price ticket skyrockets this season.