- 6 hours ago
Arsenal can profit from ‘WAR’ to sign €50m star
Robin Bairner
- 7 Dec 2024 09:48 GMT
- 3 min read
Arsenal’s need for an attacking midfielder is an issue that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is well aware of, yet an unexpected opening may be emerging for the Emirates side on this front.
Arsenal may be able to take advantage of turmoil at PSG to land winger Ousmane Dembele in 2025, with the France international’s position in Paris looking increasingly vulnerable.
A string of incidents seem to suggest that the former Barcelona player is being squeezed out of the Parc des Princes club by head coach Luis Enrique.
The latest of these emerged on Friday, when Dembele was benched for the Ligue 1 trip to Auxerre, despite the fact that he will be suspended in the Champions League in midweek following a red card against Bayern Munich – another moment that left the Spaniard furious.
There is reportedly a disconnect between the two, and as such, the future of Dembele is suddenly under question. Sport goes as far to describe the situation as a “war” between player and coach. A transfer appears more than possible at this juncture, whether that comes in January or summer 2025.
STATS
Ousmane Dembélé
F (R), AM (L)
PSG
Ousmane Dembélé
F (R), AM (L)
PSG
Arsenal are Dembele’s perfect match
Arsenal are an ideal match for Dembele, data analytics experts SciSports reports. Indeed, the Gunners are seen as the best option for the France international, who was signed by PSG for €50 million in 2023 from Barcelona.
Arteta’s side get a Club Fit score of 83 from SciSports, with based on numerous factors such as potential development, game time, style and formation.
Indeed, the Gunners are more suited to Dembele than any other side by a considerable margin, particularly when only Premier League clubs are considered. Manchester City are rated as his next-best destination, yet their Club Fit is only 75.
What can he give Arsenal?
Dembele can be the multi-purpose attacking midfielder that Arteta wants. He can fill in for either Bukayo Saka or Gabriel Martinelli on the flanks, while SciSports rate him strongly enough to make part of Arsenal’s starting XI.
He has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €38.4m, and with the winger at odds with Luis Enrique, it’s not beyond question that he could leave for a fee in that region in the coming months. PSG would ideally want more.
Although a player with a reputation for being erratic in the final third, he had a goal or an assist in each of the first nine Ligue 1 matches he played this season before being made peripheral by the coach.
Dembele, meanwhile, did not get a chance to strut his stuff at the Emirates when PSG lost 1-0 to Arsenal in the Champions League on 1 October as he was suspended for a disciplinary issue. A permanent switch to the Premier League club may just suit everyone involved, though.
