Arsenal have enjoyed a remarkable season so far, finding themselves five points clear at the top of the Premier League table and Mikel Arteta could be the man to lead them to their first league crown since the 2003/04 campaign.
Despite Edu Gaspar adding Jakub Kiwior, Jorginho, and Leandro Trossard to his squad in January, the Spaniard is always looking to the future, and a move for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister could be on the cards during the summer.
That’s according to Football Insider, who claim that Arsenal have joined Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool in the chase for the World Cup winner, with the south coast side setting a £70m price tag on him.
Could Alexis Mac Allister sign for Arsenal?
The Argentinian could be an excellent signing for the Gunners and would add further depth to their squad while being an upgrade on Fabio Vieira in the process.
Edu landed the Portuguese midfielder in the summer from FC Porto, although he is yet to find his feet in the Premier League, starting just twice for the club, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.73/10 across his 16 appearances in total.
Indeed, the Brighton sensation has registered more goal contributions (seven to three), shots on target (16 to two), tackles won (30 to four), and interceptions (21 to four) than the Arsenal youngster, proving that he could be a significant upgrade.
Mac Allister’s dead ball expertise could also come in handy at the Gunners, as he ranks in the top 1% among those in his position in Europe for penalty kicks made (0.17 per 90) and ranks in the top 4% for shots from free kicks (0.30 per 90).
Journalist Pete O’Rourke previously claimed that the midfielder would be a “dream signing” for Arsenal following his exploits in Qatar, where he was an integral part of the Argentina side that secured their third World Cup win, making 1.3 key passes and having a pass success rate of 89%, underlining his importance to the team.
Josh Bunting also heaped praise on him after an FA Cup performance against Middlesborough in January where he scored a brace, dubbing his display “absolutely ridiculous” and while £70m is a lot to spend on one player, he could well be worth it, especially in the long run.
Vieira will of course be given time to settle in at the North Londoners given the fee shelled out to bring him to England last summer, however, Arteta will be aiming to constantly improve his squad, especially with Champions League football imminent.
Mac Allister may well just prove to be a big upgrade on the 22-year-old and the next few months appear to be very exciting times for the Emirates faithful.