Arsenal chasing generational talent who could win a Ballon d’Or

It might not be what fans want to hear, but as things stand, Arsenal’s season is already starting to fall apart.

Mikel Arteta’s side have won just one of their last five games – an EFL Cup tie against Championship opposition – and they are currently fourth in the Premier League and down in 12th in the Champions League.

It’s too early to declare the Gunners’ season over, but they need something significant to change in the coming months to get them back on track.

So, it’s good news that the transfer window is right around the corner, especially since they’ve been linked with a supremely gifted youngster who could well be their next Mesut Özil.

Arsenal transfer news

According to recent reports from Spain, Arsenal are incredibly keen on signing Real Madrid’s tremendously exciting youngster, Arda Güler.

The report claims that the Turkish international is not happy in the Spanish capital over his lack of game time and that, in a move similar to Martin Odegaard’s in January 2021, the Gunners are looking to exploit this unhappiness.

Now, the report has revealed that any transfer in January would likely be a loan, but once again, there is hope at the Emirates that Arteta could convince the youngster that North London is where he should stay permanently, just as he was able to convince the Norwegian three years ago.

There are a lot of moving parts in this potential deal, but given Guler’s ability and incredible potential, Arsenal must try and bring him to N5 in the new year and then see if they can get him to stay for the long term, as he could be the potential long-term heir to their former number ten, Özil.

Why Güler could be Arsenal’s new Özil

So, while Güler can play as both a right-winger and attacking midfielder, it seems incredibly unlikely that he’d replace Bukayo Saka, meaning that were he to join Arsenal, he’d almost certainly do so to play in the middle of the park.

This would, in turn, see him follow in the footsteps of Odegaard and Özil, who both swapped Madrid for Islington and while they did so in different eras for the club, they both more than made their mark.

For example, the German became the Gunners’ record signing when he joined on transfer deadline day in September 2013.

Over the following seven and a half years, he made 254 appearances, scored 44 goals, provided 75 assists and won three FA Cups.

Whereas, in his three and a half years at the club, Arteta’s current captain has made 158 appearances, in which he’s scored 35 goals and provided 26 assists, although he’s yet to win anything.

So, if Güler, whom analyst Ben Mattinson claims could become “Ballon D’Or level,” does follow in their footsteps, why is he more likely to become the next Özil and not the next Odegaard?

The first reason is that, like the 2014 World Cup winner, the 19-year-old “generational talent,” as dubbed by journalist Dean Jones, is far more accustomed to playing in a more attacking midfield role when in the middle of the park.

In contrast, the Drammen-born star has played just under a third of his Arsenal games in central midfield, and as the number on the back of his shirt suggests, he tends to drop a little deeper in build-up and often moves out to the right in attack.

On top of that, while the 36-year-old ex-pro was born in Gelsenkirchen, he never hid his love for his Turkish roots and even spent a good amount of time playing in the country before retiring, including for Fenerbahce, which is where Los Blancos’ Turkish gem played before joining them.

Ultimately, Arsenal have enjoyed great success when it comes to signing talented midfielders from Real in the past. So they should do all they can to secure Güler’s services, especially as his positional preferences and unbelievable raw talent suggest he could become the club’s next Özil.

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