Mesut Ozil, an offensive midfielder for Real Madrid, was lured to the Emirates by Arsenal in the 2013 summer transfer window as Arsene Wenger sought to create another squad capable of challenging for the Premier League’s top spot.
Unfortunately for the Gunners, signing the German international was unable to create a team capable of winning a championship. Nevertheless, Ozil’s presence on the team proved that north London’s club could still sign players from clubs like Madrid when he was still at the height of his abilities.
In order to recruit the offensive midfielder for a reported £42.4 million, the club surpassed its previous transfer record by £27.4 million. Over the course of his seven seasons with the club, he made over 250 appearances and helped the Emirates team win four FA Cups.
Although at times the rest of the team couldn’t quite match his tremendous talent, the former Werder Bremen sensation contributed to 123 goals over that time and became as one of the Premier League’s most productive offensive midfielders.
It turned out to be perhaps Wenger’s last outstanding acquisition for the team, and with current manager Mikel Arteta seeking to establish his own dominance over the group, could he follow the Frenchman by bringing in a player from Madrid with an exceptionally promising career in the game? Aurelien Tchouameni, a midfielder, has been mentioned in connection with a surprise transfer to Arsenal this summer.
Aurelien Tchouameni might be available to Arsenal this summer.
Arteta is wasting no time in significantly enhancing his roster, and the Frenchman might be the last piece of the jigsaw. Declan Rice is scheduled to have a medical before being officially revealed as an Arsenal player next week, along with the signing of Kai Havertz.
Tchouameni, who moved to Madrid from AS Monaco last summer, had a respectable if unspectacular first season in Spain. He helped the team win the Copa Del Rey and led the team in tackles per game (1.9) and interceptions per game (1.5), showcasing his defensive prowess in the centre of the midfield.
It is not just his defensive qualities that Arteta should be signing him for, though; he also ranks in the top 10% for passes into the final third per 90 (6.88) and in the top 1% for pass completion percentage per 90 (92.9%) across Europe’s major five leagues, which suggests that he strives to create attacking opportunities as frequently as possible. This could be priceless for Arteta.
The £207,500-a-week star, who has been dubbed a “ball-recovering machine” by journalist Lucas Navarrete, ranks in the top 7% of his peers on the continent for tackles and interceptions per 90 (4.59), and he may give players like Havertz more room to grow.
It would be a major acquisition, to say the least, and Arteta would be following in Wenger’s footsteps by luring a gifted midfielder with the world at his feet to London. However, this time, Tchouameni, who has been hailed as “superb” by pundit Rio Ferdinand, would be joined by a host of other top-tier players to the Emirates as the club strives for their first title in 20 years.
