Arsenal have reinvigorated their interest in Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser who is entering the final year of his contract at the Vitality Stadium.
According to a report from the Daily Mirror, the Gunners have shifted their attention towards the Scottish International after their bid of £40m for Wilfried Zaha was rejected by Crystal Palace.
The Cherries are trying to get the 25-year-old forward to sign a contract extension, but Fraser has not yielded so far, the report adds.
Wise choice by Emery?
The former Aberdeen youngster is coming on the back of a successful season with the Premier League club where he managed 8 goals and 15 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.
He amassed the second highest number of assists in the English top flight last season, only one less than former Chelsea player Eden Hazard, which speaks volumes about his potential and the current form in his career.
The 25-year-old primarily features on the left-wing but can feature across the advanced midfield slots.
He is flexible in his style of play and boasts excellent work-rate both in offensive and defensive areas on the pitch, which could be one of the big reasons he is favoured by the Gunners’ boss Unai Emery.
Fraser is a tricky man with the ball at his feet and can go both ways, outside, to deliver a fizzing cross for the striker or cut inside to have a pop at goal himself.
He managed 2 crosses and 1.4 shots per game across all competitions last term, which are the hallmarks of a player exuberating confidence.
The former Ipswich player also boasts adequate passing range under his belt managing 2.5 key passes, 0.8 long balls and 0.1 through balls per 90 minutes across all competitions last term with the latter being an area he has to work upon and will get an opportunity at Emirates with superior players around him.
His passing accuracy of 77% will also need to see an improvement if he is to make a name for himself in a club like Arsenal.
Considering the reported transfer budget allocated to the Spanish manager, the apparent decision to target Fraser over Zaha seems wise and will allow Emery to focus on his defence which is in dire need of fortification.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored