Arsenal could swoop in and steal Chelsea’s bargain £33 million transfer for Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, especially when taking into consideration the Dutchman’s admiration for the Gunners.
According to the Spanish outlet El Nacional, the Blues have tabled a bid for the central midfielder with the intention to sign him in the January transfer window.
Chelsea are not the only club in the hunt for a midfield signing in the winter market, as Arsenal have a shortage of players in this position and need to bolster it sooner rather than later.
The Gunners have been linked with a number of players in this window, but the acquisition of de Jong would certainly be the most impressive.
Despite Chelsea seemingly being a more attractive option due to their recent trophy success, Arsenal could still have the advantage after de Jong previously mentioned his desire to sign for the north London side.
Speaking to Voetbal International back in 2019, he said: “I actually thought Arsenal was pretty beautiful in the past.
“In my mind, I have had the following list for a long time: Ajax-Arsenal-Barcelona, call it the Marc Overmars route. But yes, if you can go directly to Barcelona, then you are also right where you want to be. Faster than you ever dared to dream.”
Arsenal are in desperate need of a quality central midfielder to further support Partey, who has endured a slow adaptation to the Premier League, and a partnership with someone as technically gifted as de Jong would certainly go a long way in helping to support the out-of-form Ghanaian.
It is not just down to the lack of quality in midfield why Arsenal require a signing for the area, but Mikel Arteta’s side is also incredibly short in this position.
Mohamed Elneny and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are both likely to depart the club on a permanent deal at the end of the season with their contract situations reaching a precarious stage, and this would leave only three senior central midfielders at the club.
Albert Sambi Lokonga still needs time to mature as a player, which will allow him to compete with the best players in the league, while Granit Xhaka can’t be trusted due to his constant suspension issues.
Frenkie de Jong seems to be available for an extremely cheap price, and if the Gunners can snatch him from the hands of Chelsea, then it would certainly be making a stern statement to the rest of the footballing world.
Not only would his acquisition strengthen Arteta’s side, but it would also prove that Arsenal are able to compete with the world’s best clubs within the market.
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Source by Football London
