Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser is set to leave the club in the summer when his contract with the Cherries expires. The Scottish international has been a solid performer for the club over the years, which has attracted interest from several teams.
A report by The Athletic reveals that north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, are no longer interested in signing the 26-year-old. The report states that most clubs are looking for loans and free transfers, and Fraser is an extremely good option in that regard.
With Arsenal and Tottenham pulling out of the race to sign Fraser, which Premier League sides can capitalise on this opportunity and sign him?
Here, let’s take a look at 3 clubs who should look to sign Ryan Fraser
Newcastle United
Newcastle United have been linked with several star names over the last few months, ever since the news of their impending Saudi takeover started gathering steam. But, the Magpies won’t be able to spend vast sums of money all at once due to the Financial Fairplay regulations. A balanced approach wherein they target big names along with some smart signings will be the way to go and if a quality player is available for free, it is something the club should consider monitoring.
Ryan Fraser could be one such smart addition to the Newcastle United squad, which would give their manager more options on the left side. Allan Saint-Maximin had a good first season with the club and quickly became a crowd favourite, but the other options on the left side of attack – Christian Atsu and Rolando Aarons, are not good enough for a top 10 Premier League side. Ryan Fraser would offer experience, great work ethic, as well as clever passing from the left.
Everton
Another Premier League side that has aspirations of getting into the top 6 of the Premier League is Everton. The Toffees have a fantastic manager in Carlo Ancelotti, and they will be expected to compete for a top 6 spot next season. Everton need a left-sided winger who can offer consistency and work-rate to fit into the 4-4-2 system that the Italian manager has employed.
Bernard, who has played on the left, does not offer much defensively, while Alex Iwobi – another left-winger – has been inconsistent. Fraser could be a good addition to the Everton squad that needs more depth in certain areas.
Leicester City
Leicester City have had a very good 2019-20 season, and they will hope to replicate the same form in 2020-21. But, they will have more games in the 2020-21 season, due to them playing European football, which means that their squad needs to grow in size and quality. Harvey Barnes, the Foxes’ left-winger, has shone in the 2019-20 season, but Demarai Gray, the other left-sided wide man, has not been consistent enough and hasn’t lived up to expectations.
We could see Gray, and maybe even Marc Albrighton, be allowed to leave the club. Ryan Fraser could fit very well in manager Brendan Rodgers’ possession-based football played on the front foot, which requires players that can pass the ball well – a quality that the Scotsman possesses and his dribbling skills and tendency to assist a lot of goals will also come in handy.
