Arsenal are once again considering a move for Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega, it has been claimed.
According to the Mirror, the Gunners have rekindled their interest in the Argentine, who has been identified as a potential replacement for Aaron Ramsey, who has agreed to join Juventus in the summer.
Banega was a target for Arsenal in the January transfer window but a move failed to materialise due to financial shortcomings.
However, the north London giants are ready to have another go in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Ever Banega: The ideal replacement for Ramsey?
A product of the BOCA Juniors youth academy, Banega is quite a familiar name in Spanish football and has already worked with Unai Emery when the two were at Valencia and later Sevilla.
In fact, the Argentine midfielder has played 200 games in all competition under Emery and thus, a reunion might make sense and as Arsenal prepare to start a new era next season, Banega’s vast experience in European top flight could be useful.
From a tactical perspective, Banega can be installed as the number ten for Arsenal, where the Argentine’s excellent composure on the ball coupled with his unerring ability to find teammates in open spaces would make him an ideal ball-carrier as well as a playmaker for the Gunners.
Only Pablo Sarabia has delivered more key passes than Banega at Sevilla this season.
Another feature that makes Banega such a sought after midfield in European football is his proactive nature as the Argentine often likes to press the opposition, and play an active role even when his team is not in possession of the ball. This is indicated by the fact by the midfielder has averaged 2.6 tackles per game so far.
The 30-year-old is known for his sublime passing and distribution as well, meaning he can also operate in a deeper role. He has attained a pass completion rate of 85% this season.
However, Banega is largely an attack-minded midfielder, whose presence in the final third would certainly revamp Arsenal’s creative department, especially given the likely departure of Mesut Ozil.
And if we consider, Banega’s previous experience of playing under Emery, the Argentine international should find it easy to adapt to the style, which makes him a tailor-made fit for Arsenal.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored