Arsenal are interested in Sampdoria midfielder Dennis Praet as they look to strengthen their squad following the departure of their star man Aaron Ramsey to Serie A champions Juventus.
Praet’s agent confirmed many European clubs are interested in attaining his client’s services although Arsenal and AC Milan have emerged as top contenders for the signature of the 25-year-old, according to a report from Talksport.
Earlier, the Gunners have had their bid of €45m rejected for the Sampdoria duo of Praet and defender Joachim Andersen, the report adds.
The Serie A midfielder scored two goals and provided three assists in 37 appearances across all competitions in the recently concluded campaign.
How will he fit in at the club?
Praet predominantly features as a central-midfielder who plies his trade on the right side of the four-man diamond under Sampdoria boss Marco Giampaolo. He can also ease in an attacking midfield role higher up the field in case the manager requires him.
The Belgian International’s style of play has changed drastically over the years. Lately, he has garnered accolades for his off the ball movement as compared to his ball playing abilities in his younger days.
The 25-year-old is a box to box midfielder and uses his 5ft 9in frame to impose his authority in the centre of the pitch. His defensive contribution has been one of the main talking points of the midfielder’s style of play.
Praet averaged 1.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per 90 minutes across all competitions which are more or less the same as compared to most of the current Arsenal midfielders in Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi.
The numbers remain impressive seeing the Sampdoria midfielder handles his business way higher on the pitch as compared to most of his Arsenal counterparts. Apart from his physical prowess, he boasts a whole range of passing skills under his belt, with one of his specialities being delivering accurate long balls.
Praet averaged a pass success rate of 87.3%, 1.1 key passes and 1.3 long balls per game across all competitions. For a box to box midfielder, his finishing has been poor though and he hasn’t been clinical enough in the final third of the pitch and he averaged only a single shot per game last term across all competitions.
Praet brings quality and flexibility into the Gunners dressing room and Arsenal boss Unai Emery must look into this aspect of the midfielder if he has to replace Ramsey with the 25-year-old.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored
