Arsenal have made it clear the type of midfielder they are going to sign in the summer transfer window. It is because of this that Houssem Aouar would be the ideal signing for the Gunners ahead of next season.
The north London side has seemed to target players who have excellent ball carrying skills. With Thomas Partey anchoring the midfield and Martin Odegaard being tasked with leading the team in creating chances, having a midfielder who can successfully carry the ball from defence to midfield is crucial.
It seems Edu has identified players who excel in this department and those who have been linked to the club have some of the best ball-carrying statistics in Europe's top five leagues.
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Aouar and Renato Sanches have been heavily linked with a move to north London and they are both very good when it comes to being successful ball carriers as the graph below highlights.
According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato, the Gunners are keen on signing Aouar. The midfielder has changed his agent which could be a game-changer from the previous attempt to sign him.
The Lyon man managed to score seven goals from midfield in 30 league games last season. This was more than the goals scored in the league by Arsenal’s central midfield combined (5).
It shows he would be excellent in the number eight role that is currently occupied by Granit Xhaka. The French international dribbled past 55 players last season, while Xhaka dribbled passed 11.
The Gunners are in desperate need of a midfielder due to shortages in the position, which also coincides with a lack of quality and it is something that Arteta needs to address.
Arsenal could be left short in midfield this summer, with football.london understanding that Roma are expected to make a fresh attempt to sign Xhaka at the end of the season.
This will mean that Thomas Partey would be the only experienced midfielder in the team. Mohamed Elneny’s contract is set to expire in June and Albert Sambi Lokonga still needs time to mature.
Aouar would be an excellent signing by Arsenal and it is a deal they should be pursuing. The Gunners will need strengthening in the midfield position, and the Lyon man would be an ideal candidate judging by the types of midfielders that Edu has been targeting ahead of next season.
