Transfer News:
Arsenal are currently short on midfielders after Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla announced their departures from the club due to different reasons. The club will hope to revamp their structure, and transfer policy under the tutelage of Unai Emery and hence they are obviously on the lookout for certain midfielders.
Recent reports are linking Seville midfielder Steven N’Zonzi with a move to the Gunners. Steven is a part of the French squad at the ongoing World Cup in Russia currently and even started their match against Denmark. He was immense at Old Trafford in the second leg of Seville’s Round-of-16 match against Manchester United when they ousted out the Red Devils. That performance, along with some commanding appearances in the club level convinced Didier Deschamps to induct N’Zonzi in the squad. He is playing the role of a backup player, but the confidence of having played in the World Cup will surely benefit him greatly.
Steven N’Zonzi: Player Profile
N’Zonzi is an energetic midfielder, somewhat of a box-to-box player. He is good with the possession of the ball, can make darting runs ahead and distributes the ball well enough. Steven presses the opponent and maintains a good level of intensity throughout the course of the game. He does not shy away from defensive responsibilities and is always willing to add up numbers ahead whenever the team is on the move. N’Zonzi is physically imposing and aerially dominant, having won an average of 3.8 aerial duels per game in the La Liga last season.
In the domestic league, he put in 1.4 tackles, intercepted the ball once and was always involved in the defensive perspective of the game. Steven cleared the ball 1.3 times in each match and had registered an impressive passing accuracy of 88% overall. He is actually a very safe player to have in the midfield, and guarantees to keep the possession of the ball whilst also keeping the team ahead with some assured passing from deep areas. He has a commanding presence of sorts too, having the ability to grab a hold over the midfield activities with constant movement and lookout for openings in the other half too.
Should Arsenal make a move?
Arsenal definitely have to fill up places at the centre of the park now, and N’Zonzi would be a good option for the short-term. With Granit Xhaka already in the squad, they should look for someone who could fulfil the defensive requirements. N’Zonzi does not dive into challenges regularly, rather, he keeps a close touch with the adversary, putting in the required challenge or tackle only when necessary. He is someone who can bring a new identity to Arsenal’s midfield, giving them stability, experience, and overall solidity too.
