What was looking like a rather dull summer for Arsenal fans just a week or so ago has since burst into life.
Kepa Arrizabalaga might be the only signing to have been officially announced as things stand, but that doesn’t look likely to remain the case.
The paperwork for Brentford star Christian Norgaard has reportedly been signed, and Martin Zubimendi is expected to be unveiled before the end of the week.
On top of that, Mikel Arteta looks to finally be getting some attacking stars in, with Eberechi Eze looking like a likely addition, and now reports linking the club to someone who’d be the perfect teammate for him.
Arsenal target dream Eze teammate
While the start of the window was dominated by stories linking Arsenal to one of Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres, Eze has now taken centre stage.
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Stories touting him for a move to the Emirates started to gain traction midway through last week, but then really gained momentum in recent days, with some claiming that Arteta had been involved in positive talks with him over the weekend.
Then, in yet more good news, some of the most recent reports have stated that the Englishman is now “desperate” to join the Gunners.
That desire to move to N5 might only increase now that the North Londoners have also been linked with someone who’d be the perfect teammate for him: Ollie Watkins.
That is according to insider Team news and ticks, who, on the latest episode of The Inside Foreward podcast, revealed that Arsenal have once again made contact with the Aston Villa player.
They claim that even though the Englishman is not currently the club’s priority striker signing, he is high up on the list, and that, as a boyhood fan, he would personally “love to play” for them.
In terms of the money involved, other stories from this summer indicate that a fee of around £40m could be enough to tempt the Claret and Blue into selling.
At that price, this potential transfer feels like a no-brainer, especially as he’d be an incredible teammate for Eze.
Why Watkins would be perfect for Eze
Unsurprisingly, the first and without a doubt the most significant reason Eze would love playing alongside Watkins at Arsenal, or anywhere for that matter, is his output.
For example, since the start of the 23/24 season, the often unplayable “nightmare,” as dubbed by Conor Coady, has scored a staggering 44 goals and provided 29 assists in 107 appearances in all competitions, totalling 7901 minutes.
In other words, the former Exeter City gem has averaged a goal involvement every 1.46 games, or one every 108.23 minutes, which really has to be considered world-class.
Appearances
53
54
Minutes
4323′
3578′
Goals
27
17
Assists
15
14
Goal Involvements per Match
0.79
0.57
Minutes per Goal Involvement
102.92′
115.41′
Now, just imagine how much better Eze’s already impressive numbers of 25 goal involvements in 43 games last season would be next year if he were playing just behind a striker as effective as the Villa ace.
Moreover, another reason the Palace star could love playing alongside the 29-year-old is that they are both now England internationals.
Therefore, they could have the chance to further develop their partnership at both the domestic and international levels, which in turn could help them secure more game time under Thomas Tuchel.
Ultimately, the best players in world football want to play alongside the best, and based on his performances for Villa in recent years, we expect Eze would be thrilled to start alongside Watkins at Arsenal.
Therefore, Andrea Berta and Co should be doing all they can to sign both of them this summer.
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