The transfer window has been closed for almost two weeks now, but The Gunners continue to pick-up links to a variety of different players. The rumour-mill waits for no man, it seems.
The player in question is Barcelona midfielder Sergi Samper. According to The Metro, Arsene Wenger is ready and willing to play the Spaniard’s £9.6m release clause when the January transfer window opens.
Could this be a case of history repeating itself?
Arsenal aren’t shy when it comes to poaching Barcelona’s young players. The Spanish powerhouse has an excellent Academy system – one that seems to pump out quality young footballers on a fairly consistent basis. With The Gunners’ continued focus on youth, it’s unsurprising that they continue to get linked to Barcelona’s Academy players.
Arsene Wenger has previously made moves for Hector Bellerin and Jon Toral, two ex-Nou Camp stars. Oh and let’s not forget Cesc Fabregas who was at Barcelona between 1997 and 2003, before moving to Arsenal for 8 years. He’s now at Chelsea, much to Arsenal fans’ disdain.
As it happens, The Metro claim that Samper has been compared Cesc Fabregas. They even go as far as to label him a ‘pass master’.
This, I’d argue, isn’t 100% accurate. Whilst Samper oozes confidence on the ball, he plays a very different role than Cesc Fabregas does for his team. Cesc is an attacking minded midfielder, whilst Samper is more defensively minded.
He’s got bags of energy, plenty of passion and he’s not afraid to dive into tackles. He spends most of the game sitting in front of the back-four providing protection where necessary and winning back possession whenever possible.
If I were to compare him to a player with an Arsenal affiliation, then I’d suggest that Mikel Arteta provides a more apt parallel.
Still, there’s no doubt that Arsenal could use another defensive midfielder. With Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini both getting on in years, perhaps this 19-year-old is just the ticket. But will Arsene Wenger really be willing to spend £9.6m on him?
What’s your take? Could The Gunners really be interested in this Barcelona starlet?
Please follow @ThePerfectPass for more football related action!
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.