SUNDAY Morning Deal: Mikel Arteta could repeat another Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil masterclass by signing ‘Superb’ £207k-p/w ‘machine’- Arsenal are looking to seal their ‘midfield trio’ for the next decade
In the summer of 2013, Arsenal managed to lure Real Madrid attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil to the Emirates as Arsene Wenger looked to build another team which could return to the top of the Premier League table.
Unfortunately for the Gunners, the recruitment of the German international couldn’t forge a title winning side, however, his imprint in the team showed the north Londoners could still sign players from clubs such as Madrid, and Ozil was still at the peak of his powers.
The club broke their transfer record by £27.4m to sign the attacking midfielder for a fee of around £42.4m and he went on to make over 250 appearances for the Emirates outfit during his seven seasons at the club, winning four FA Cups in that period.
The former Werder Bremen starlet registered 123 goal contributions during that time frame and became of the most productive attacking midfielders in the Premier League, although at times, the rest of the side couldn’t quite match his incredible ability.
It proved to be arguably Wenger’s last great signing at the club and with current manager Mikel Arteta looking to assert his own authority on the squad, could he follow the Frenchman by signing a player from Madrid who has an exceedingly bright future in the game?
As midfielder, Aurelien Tchouameni has been linked with a stunning move to Arsenal this summer.
Could Arsenal sign Aurelien Tchouameni this summer?
With Declan Rice set to undergo a medical before being announced as an Arsenal player next week, along with the signing of Kai Havertz, Arteta is wasting no time in vastly improving his squad and the Frenchman could be the final piece of the jigsaw.
Having joined Madrid from AS Monaco last summer, Tchouameni enjoyed a solid of unspectacular maiden campaign in Spain, winning the Copa Del Rey, while also ranking first in the squad for tackles per game (1.9) and interceptions per game (1.5) as he showcased his defensively abilities in the heart of the midfield.
It isn’t just his defensive traits for which Arteta should be signing him for however, as he ranks in the top 1% across Europe’s big five leagues for pass completion percentage per 90 (92.9%) and also ranking in the top 10% for passes into the final third per 90 (6.88), suggesting that he aims to generate attacking opportunities as often as possible and this could be priceless for Arteta.
The £207k-per-week gem has previously been dubbed a “ball-recovering machine” by journalist Lucas Navarrete and this is evidenced by the fact he ranks in the top 7% alongside his peers on the continent for tackles and interceptions per 90 (4.59) and he could allow the likes of Havertz more freedom to flourish.
It would be a marquee signing to say the least and Arteta would certainly be following in Wenger’s footsteps by luring a talented midfielder with the world at his feet to London.
However this time, Tchouameni – who has been lauded as “superb” by pundit Rio Ferdinand – would be joined by a host of other top class talents to the Emirates as the club aim for their first title in 20 years.
