Arsenal make contact with 'beast' £51m Odegaard partner

Benjamin Sesko may have surprised few with his decision to sign a new contract with RB Leipzig, which contains a gentleman's agreement to move on for a year or two, but in reality the 21-year-old striker has wisely chosen to turn down Arsenal and others. they don't ask.

For Mikel Arteta and his Gunners, it's a mistake after missing out on one of Europe's best attacking talents and a profile that would fit in with the system and culture at the Emirates. But Arsenal have not risen to the position of one of the real favorites of Europe despite the difficulties of the weather, showing their fluidity and where they are in the market.

For example, think of Douglas Luiz. In 2022, Arsenal's failure of a trilogy of bids for the star of Aston Villa was painful but the club did not throw hail Mary in another way, instead it bided its time, adding depth with Jorginho five months before signing Declan Rice. from West Ham United for £105m one year later. How did that go?

Arsenal have held talks with the Premier League midfielder

The defensive midfield is also a priority, finding a partner to allow Rice to play a central role roaming freely. Thomas Partey is about to leave. In January 2023 Arsenal saw a £70m bid rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion for Moises Caicedo, now at struggling Chelsea.

Arsenal have been waiting patiently for a number 6 to arrive, and indeed, if reports are to be believed, Arteta is finally moving to complete his midfield, with Everton's Amadou Onana now interested.

According to Everton reporter Joe Thomas, Arsenal contacted the Merseyside club to discuss a transfer for Onana on the official opening day of the summer window.

Obviously, i €60m (£51m)-high-priced midfielder top of Arteta and Edu Gaspar's shopping list…

Amadou Onana's Everton career by the numbers

Arsenal's much-vaunted progress under Arteta has been short-lived. The north London outfit has become a resurgent example for some Premier League heavyweights to emulate.

And for all Arsenal's slick, suffocating style of football, the ability to strike with unerring precision in the transfer market is the true mark of their success.

Onana, despite not always enjoying high points with Everton, has been identified for his unique ability. Measured, measured and analyzed. Strong, tough and deceptively strong, the 22-year-old would be the perfect balancing force to solve the engine room.

Defined as “the house of power“Per reporter Antonio Mango, Onana signed for Everton from Lille in a £33.5m deal in August 2022, opting to move to Goodison Park despite West Ham having previously agreed the fee.

The Belgian made 37 appearances in all competitions in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring three goals, and while he has only started 23 times in the top flight, his strong, versatile style of play will no doubt give Arsenal that share.

Comparing his season stats with Partey's – aged 31 – it's clear that the Toffees player will bring more life and energy to the team – with more accurate and inspirational defensive qualities to boot.

In addition, it is important to remember that Onana plays in an attacking system that does not emphasize high management values. It's possible that Onana would actually have recorded a bigger splash if the shoe had been on the other foot.

All this will allow Rice to continue unstuck in his different role above the basal layer of midfield. Well, pundit and Gunners fan Ben Mattinson has started dreaming of a joint venture, saying “imagine this monster next to Rice“.

But the benefit of doing that duo is already overshadowed by the ad nauseam; why are we forgetting another linchpin in the center of Arsenal? It is possible that Onana will make him not play.

Think Amadou Onana and Martin Odegaard

No, not Mohamed Elneny. Yes we are talking about the amazing captain Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian maestro has made a remarkable impact on Arsenal's pursuit of glory in recent years, scoring 26 goals and providing 18 assists in the past two campaigns alone.

But that's only one aspect of Odegaard's skill set. According to FBref, the 25-year-old ranked in the top 1% of the best midfielders in Europe's top five leagues last year in shooting actions, top 2% in continuous passes, top 11% in balls they have a top 18% success rate out of 90.

He's no joke defensively either, averaging 1.4 tackles per game and completing 4.5 clearances per game in his 35 Premier League appearances last season, according to Sofascore.

His partnership with Rice worked wonders, with the England international working with endless energy and fighting power to create a great level of synergy with the zap. But, as mentioned, Rice is probably better placed in the center of the park, as opposed to a more involved role in midfield, Sofascore shows a surprising amount of ground covered in the Premier League in his first year at the Emirates.

By sending Onana to the bottom of the engine room, Arsenal will truly provide one of the game's most effective midfield units.

The £100k-a-week Evertonian ranked in the top 8% of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues last year for tackles and in the top 6% for aerial duels won out of 90.

Arteta and Edu have to make it happen. Patience is a virtue and the Gunners have shown that in recent years. But now is the time for decisive action to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League and take steps to reach the top of Europe.