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  • Writer's pictureAdam Perry

Transfer Rumours and Euros Update

Despite the Euros being in full flow, Arsenal are looking to be active in the transfer market, reportedly tabling a couple of bids over the past week.


The most concrete interest has been in Belgian midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, who according to The Athletic, Arsenal have bid £13 million for, with Anderlecht holding out for £17 million.


The 21-year-old has enjoyed a solid season with Anderlecht, making 27 starts and helping his side to a 4thplace finish.


Operating as a deep lying playmaker or a box-to-box midfielder, Lokonga has lined up at the base of a midfield three in a 4-3-3 and in a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1, showing his versatility in two systems Arteta likes to play.


With Granit Xhaka likely on his way out of the club, and Dani Ceballos returning to Real Madrid after his two-year loan spell, Arsenal will need to bring in at least one, if not two deeper midfield players, and targeting a younger player for £17 million appears to be a smart tactic for a club with lots of business to do.


Lokonga was made to captain his side on several occasions this season by manager Vincent Kompany, demonstrating his leadership and character, a vital aspect for Arsenal’s current squad, as well as his physicality standing at 6ft tall.


In comparison to Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka last season, Lokonga made a higher number of interceptions per 90 minutes (1.8), suggesting he is mobile and adept at reading the game, as well as resembling Partey’s dribbles and shots per game numbers, but registering a higher number of key passes at 0.9 per game.


On the whole, Lokonga seems a smart player to target. For under £20 million, he is an athletic and mobile replacement for Xhaka who appears to have a more offensive game than Partey, which would create a good balance in the Arsenal midfield.


Another player Arsenal have been strongly linked with, according to The Athletic and Sky Sports, is Brighton defender Ben White.


White has recently joined up with Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the European Championships, after a good season with Brighton, his first in the Premier League.


Heading into the 2021/22 season, Arsenal’s current centre back options are Rob Holding, Calum Chambers, William Saliba, Gabriel Maghalães and Pablo Marí.


On the right side, Holding has come off a strong season for the Gunners, stepping up as a first-choice option and putting in a stream of steady performances which recently earned him a new 5-year deal. Chambers had a resurgence towards the end of the campaign, recovering from a cruciate ligament injury to claim the right back spot, but has featured at centre back for Arsenal in the past.


William Saliba has spent the last 6 months on loan at Nice after struggling off the field in England during the first half of the season, but by all accounts, has had a successful loan spell.



Ben White offers a steady looking option in defence, who outputs slightly better defensive stats than Holding, albeit in a worse team which requires more defending. Saliba in comparison appears quite raw defensively.


Offensively, Saliba provides far more than the other two, whilst Holding is competent. Ben White looks solid enough, but his pass completion would need to increase should he move to Arsenal. If the Gunners are wanting a ball player to replace David Luiz, Saliba appears the natural choice, whilst White is a more all-round option.


As a proven English player, White’s profile is desirable for Arsenal, however the reported opening bid from the Gunners is £40 million, and that kind of fee, when we already have Holding, Chambers and Saliba for the right centre back spot, does not make sense when Arsenal are also looking for signings in several other positions.



On Tuesday, David Ornstein reported that Martin Ødegaard is likely to stay at Real Madrid, forcing Arsenal to revert their search for an attacking midfielder elsewhere.


Ødegaard played the second half of the season at Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid, quickly forcing his way into Mikel Arteta’s starting 11 and helping Arsenal’s creativity issue.


The Norwegian helped during Arsenal’s late season turnaround, seeing them record the 3rd most points since the end of 2020, adding efficient passing and progressive ball carrying to keep Arsenal ticking.


Ødegaard has spent his career hopping between clubs on loan, and Arsenal would like to give him a home to kick on and develop, but with new management in Madrid, a move to the Gunners seems unlikely, despite the interest from both Arsenal and the player.


If a deal cannot be done, Arsenal should be looking at Ødegaard’s profile and trying to replicate it in a new creative midfield signing.



On Wednesday, Aston Villa submitted a £25 million bid for Emile Smith Rowe, prompting a swift rejection from Arsenal.


As with Ødegaard, Smith Rowe came into the team for the second half of the season and helped transform the way Arsenal playerd, adding intricate one and two touch play to help speed up Arsenal’s attacks.


As well as his contributions on the ball, Smith Rowe’s effort and movement has made him a valuable asset for the Gunners, helping to lead the press and run into the channels as Saka does.


Graduating out of Hale End and becoming a regular in the Arsenal first team has sky rocketed Smith Rowe’s value to Arsenal, and it will take a lot more than £25 million to pry him away.



Arsenal Euros Update:


Granit Xhaka has captained Switzerland twice so far during the European Championships, drawing 1-1 to Wales, and losing 3-0 to Italy. It is a competitive group and will require Xhaka and the team to beat Turkey in their final game if they want to advance from Group A.


In Group D, England beat Croatia 1-0, whilst Scotland lost 2-0 to the Czech Republic. Neither Bukayo Saka nor Kieran Tierney played for their respective nations, although Tierney is expected to start when the two sides face off at 8pm tonight.


Prediction: England 2 – 0 Scotland


Bern Leno’s Germany lost 1-0 to France in their opening game, but Leno was not involved.


Adam Perry - 18/06/2021


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