Arsenal considering a £30m bid for Scottish winger: A shrewd move in the offing

Arsenal are plotting a fresh bid in their pursuit of Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser, it has been claimed.

According to Independent, Arsenal are poised to launch a fresh bid for Bournemouth star Ryan Fraser as they aim to add more quality to their attack.  Fraser’s current contract with the Cherries expires at the end of next season so it’s unlikely Arsenal will have to dig deep into their pockets.

But, it is believed Bournemouth will be holding out for least £30 million for the Scot, who has emerged as one of Premier League’s most influential attackers during the 2018/19 campaign.

Ryan Fraser: A perfect signing for Arsenal

It was a turbulent 2018/19 campaign for Arsenal, having finished sixth in the league. While the Gunners impressed in front of goal, ending up having the third-best attack in the league it was largely thanks to their two strikers in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.

The likes of Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan struggled with form and injuries. Alex Iwobi, too, failed to make a significant impact.

As a result, Arsenal appeared overreliant on the services of Aaron Ramsey to provide creativity from midfield. But, with the Welshman set to join Juventus this summer, the Gunners are in desperate of someone who can add the creative spark in the attacking department. Fraser, in that regard, would be more than a decent option.

As mentioned earlier, the Bournemouth star was one of the most influential attackers in the league, registering 14 assists – a tally bettered only by Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard. He also delivered a whopping 93 key passes in the league, which is significantly better than the likes of Christian Eriksen, Gylfi Sigurdsson and even Bernardo Silva!

Fraser is capable of delivering long defence-threading through balls, which could be ideal given the pace of both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. He is also proficient when it comes to set-pieces, which has been one of the main sources of his key passes. In fact, 21 of his 93 key passes have come from corners.

Aside from that, Fraser is quick and is capable of linking up with teammates in the final third. Also, he rarely gives away possession, which is indicated by the fact that he was dispossessed only 27 times in 38 matches this past season.

Therefore, Fraser is certainly a viable target for Arsenal. And for a fee of just £30 million, he could be a bargain given the inflation in the transfer market. It will also suit the Gunners considering their financial shortcomings this summer.

To cap it off, while Fraser is certainly a viable option for the Gunners, most of their transfer activity will be influenced by the result in the Europa League final.

Stat courtesy: Whoscored