Arsenal are set to raid Lille once again for another player, as they have reportedly been linked with a move for defensive midfielder Boubakary Soumare.
The Gunners have all but signed Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille, as the Brazilian has passed his medical with the club and is set to join the club for a fee of £27 million (h/t Sky Sports).
Arsenal need to strengthen other areas of the pitch, and are after a holding midfielder. They have been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey, but as per Foot Mercato (via Football.London), Soumare is being seen as the alternative to the Ghanaian midfielder.
Still only 21, Soumare has impressed for Lille, and has made 70 appearances for the club after joining them in 2017.
Boubakary Soumare – The steel Arsenal need in midfield?
The Gunners have improved quite a bit under Mikel Arteta, but the soft underbelly remains, and until they can improve that aspect, they will not be able to progress under the Spaniard.
Defensively, Arsenal were all over the place in the 2019-20 season, and the lack of protection from an accomplished defensive midfielder played its part. So you can see why they want to shore up that area of the pitch.
Boubakary Soumare is not at the same level of Partey, not yet, but he has shown plenty of potential so far in his relatively young career.
Capable of playing as a central midfielder or a defensive midfielder, the 21-year old is solid with his passing and distribution, and most importantly, can put a foot in when needed.
The Frenchman mustered impressive stats last season, having averaged 46.8 passes a game in the Champions League last season, at an accuracy of 86.1 percent. On the defensive side of things, he managed one tackle and two interceptions on an average in the Champions League, and had a pretty good season for the French club. (Stats via Whoscored)
Can he be a good option for Mikel Arteta in midfield? Soumare’s passing and tackling are solid aspects of his game, and Arsenal need someone of his ilk in their team to add some steel to their midfield.
Having said that, he is still only 21, and can develop further. He does have Champions League experience behind him, and is a pretty experience for a 21-year-old.
Signing Soumare may have a few risks considering he will be moving to the Premier League, and will have the pressure of playing in an important position.
But, if the Gunners can’t afford to sign someone like Partey, they will have to take a gamble and go after Soumare, and integrate him into the side slowly, without putting too much pressure on him.
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