While Arsenal sat down on the ground for a large part of the first stages of the transfer window, looking at Manchester City and Liverpool to strengthen considerably, Andrea Berta is now materializing during her first agreement since arriving at the Emirates stadium.
The Gunners are frantically trying to agree on a decision for Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokerres, but they have now equaled a decision to sign Martin Zubimenddi from Real Sociedad.
It is one of the most kept football secrets since January that Spanish should go to London with reports in January suggesting that an agreement was already under work.
Well, this week, it was reported that costs were now agreed between the two clubs, which will see Arsenal pay a fraction more than the liberation clause of 51 million pounds sterling of the midfielder, so that they can manage their payments in payments.
David Ornstein also revealed on Friday morning that Zubimenddi was now in the English capital to meet Arsenal officials and fill the formalities of his premier League move.
So who is the next one? Well, it could be a creative midfielder.
Arsenal approaches the signature of another midfielder
Arsenal supporters are just crying for an attacker to sign this summer, so this can be a concern that agreements for SESKO or Gyokerers do not seem to be closer to completion.
This cannot be said of a decision for Zubimenddi, or, according to reports, we can say for a player who exercised his job in the Premier League in 2024/25.
In May, it was reported that the Gunners had submitted an offer worth 30 million pounds sterling to sign the creative Marvel of Leicester City, Bilal El Khannouss.
Since then, there has not been much update on their pursuit of the Moroccan international so far.
Indeed, Africa Foot reports before the weekend when Arsenal is now “about to conclude an agreement”, having already agreed personal conditions with the agents of El Khannouss.
Costs must still be contained between the Londoners of the North and Leicester, the report concluding that Berta and Co must now meet the financial requests of the Foxes.
El Khannouss could be available for reduction costs, since his team was relegated to the first flight last month.
Why El Khannouss would be a good signature for Arsenal
Now we know what you think. Why sign someone from one of the worst teams we have seen in the Premier League in recent years?
Well, if someone carrying Leicester Blue last season could get out of the countryside with your head high, then it was Morocco that caught the attention of its capacity to pass from the midfield.
El Khannouss was certainly one of the seasonal players of the season – it is not difficult of course – but he played well, recording three goals and six assists in all competitions. These are far from the breathtaking figures, but at the age of 21, there are a lot of potential to work here.
Indeed, throughout the season, the attacker midfielder has ranked among the most similar 14% of positioning in similar position in high -end English for progressive passes and in 10% the best for passes in the last third, highlighting his ability to play through the lines and to choose his teammates in promising positions.
This is undoubtedly its strong point. As indicated by the analyst of data Ben Mattinson, El Khannouss has a “final killer ball”, while he has an “weight elite weight” and, above all, “releases runners early”.
A pass is considered to be progressive if the distance between the starting point and the following key is at least 10 meters closer to the goal of the opponent or any pass ended in the penalty zone.
This should be music for the ears of Arsenal’s avant-garde players, but in particular for any future striker that Arsenal signs, namely Sesko.
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El Khannouss vs Odegaard: 2024/25 PL |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (by 90 minutes) |
El Khannouss |
Odegaard |
|
Shots |
1.24 |
1.86 |
|
Creative actions |
3.16 |
4.80 |
|
Get the completion% |
75% |
82% |
|
Passage |
58% |
55% |
|
Key passes |
1.72 |
2.44 |
|
Progressive passes |
5.36 |
10 |
|
Successful Take-Les |
1.36 |
0.97 |
|
Statistics via Fbref. |
||
Slovenian is a powerful attacker and as the goal below present, he likes to enter behind.
Arsenal may well have one of the best passers -by of a ball in Martin Odegaard, but the addition of El Khannouss would undoubtedly help Sesko to settle even more quickly if they both arrived at the Emirates.
At this stage of his career, you might say that the Leicester star is like a younger version of Odegaard, putting the tempo and nourishing elite bullets in the attackers.
Given the lack of joy that Leicester had in 2024/25, playing for a predominantly ball as Arsenal would be a match made in paradise for the young creative star.
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