The Premier League is finally back underway, and Arsenal are set to kickstart their campaign to dethrone Manchester City later today.
Mikel Arteta's side are set to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates, and while Riccardo Calafiori might make it into the starting lineup, the fans won't be seeing any other new faces throughout the 90.
The Gunners have been unusually quiet in the transfer market so far this year, although based on recent reports, they could soon add some real talent to the midfield in an incredibly experienced international who'd be unreal alongside Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are one of several clubs in the frame to sign Italian midfielder Marco Verratti this summer, despite rumours suggesting they are closing in on Spaniard Mikel Merino.
The report claims that the former Paris Saint-Germain star is looking to return to Europe following a year with Qatari side Al-Arabi, and has been offered to a number of teams, including the Gunners, Liverpool and Manchester United.
There is no mention of a potential price in the report, but stories from earlier this week confirmed that he has just one year remaining on his contract, so he might not cost much more than the €18m valuation given to him by Transfermarkt, which converts to about £15m.
It would be a surprise transfer, but given his incredible performances in France, the fact he's still only 31 and the potentially reasonable price tag, this seems like a deal too good to pass up on, especially as a midfield three with him, Rice and Odegaard in it is particularly tasty.
Why Verratti would be a great signing for Rice and Odegaard
So, there are a few attributes that Verratti could bring to the table at Arsenal that would make him a dream teammate for Rice and Odegaard, and the first is versatility.
While the Italian – whom Xavi once dubbed "one of the best midfielders in the world" – spent much of his career playing in central midfield, he has also made 114 appearances as a defensive midfielder, meaning that he could play in either role depending on what the manager wants from him, the game state or even how his teammates are performing.
This ability to switch roles would also make him a perfect partner for the former West Ham United captain, as he also became adept at moving between roles last season.
Just imagine if Arteta could coach the pair to be comfortable swapping positions during a game; it would be a fantastic way to confuse opposing sides and keep attacking phases fresh.
That said, while he could play in front of the backline, it's more likely that the "high-class" ace, as dubbed by Xavi, would come in to operate in that left-eight position, where he could show his impressive technical and attacking abilities.
For example, in his final Ligue 1 campaign, FBref, which compared players in similar positions in the league, placed the 31-year-old in the top 1% of midfielders for attempted passes, completed passes and progressive passes, the top 10% for blocks and the top 12% for tackles, all per 90.
This shows that while he can do the dirty work and break up play in the middle of the park, he's also brilliant with the ball at his feet and an incredibly underrated passer of the ball.
Passes Attempted
105.55
Top 1%
Passes Completed
92.6%
Top 1%
Progressive Passes
10.75
Top 1%
Blocks
1.72
Top 10%
Tackles
3.12
Top 12%
He would be the perfect player to help Rice mop up attacks before taking the ball and playing a killer pass to Odegaard to take a shot himself or provide the final ball to one of the attackers.
Ultimately, even though he spent last season playing in the Middle East, Verratti would be an excellent addition to Arsenal's midfield, and if he can be signed for a relatively low fee, then this transfer is a no-brainer.
Arsenal hit gold on "sensational" signing who's worth way more than Merino
The versatile pro has a big campaign ahead of him this season.
ByJack Salveson HolmesAug 16, 2024
