Arsenal’s move in the market are beginning to intensify as the last of the surplus players are moved on the in next week, and the focus can solely be on recruitment. With both central midfield and wide forward two areas of priority for the club, it is unsurprising to see the links begin to increase in frequency.
The latest player to be linked with Arsenal is Villarreal’s young star, Yeremy Pino. football.london has already broken down the Spanish international and compared him to the likes of Moussa Diaby from a statistical standpoint.
However, to get a better understanding of the player, football.london spoke to Spanish football expert and pundit for The Totally Football Show’s European Edition podcast Alvaro Romeo. Romeo was quick to praise Pino and highlighted his potential.
READ MORE: Arsenal interest in Yeremy Pino justified after besting Moussa Diaby in Mikel Arteta’s demands
“He’s a very good footballer, in my opinion. He’s still a raw talent, and there is potential for improvement in him,” Romeo told football.london .
“He has been capped by Spain already. Luis Enrique gave him the second half against Italy in the Nation League back in 2021, and he performed really well.
“He [had] a fantastic game for Spain, and there is a slight chance that he might go to the World Cup even though it will be dependant on [Mikel] Oyarzabal coming back from his injury or not and the fitness of Ansu Fati.
Arsenal have relied upon the speed and pressing of their front three. Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli all have the characteristic of rapid acceleration in common, but Pino lacks this trait, according to Romeo.
He also makes the comparison to a firm favourite and modern legend of Arsenal, Santi Cazorla. The ex-Gunner played in midfield but also featured in a wider position after the arrival of Mesut Ozil.
“That said, he’s fast, not very fast, but fast enough to play on the wing. He’s skilful, his ball control is very good, his passing is decent, and he must improve his crossing.
“He reminds me of [Santi] Cazorla when he was playing for Recreativo Huelva because he started playing as a winger, and little by little, he became a midfielder. I feel Yeremy Pino, due to his body shape and maybe not so much speed, could end up playing in midfield, but so far, he’s a winger, and he’s quite skilful in there.
“Last season, he scored four goals [against Espanyol]. I think he became the youngest player to score four goals in a La Liga game in a long time.
“There were many glimpses of improvement in Yeremy Pino’s game. He doesn’t play for Villarreal every game because in his position, there are the likes of Samuel Chukwueze, for example, who is a very good footballer and very highly rated by Unai Emery.”
Lastly, Romeo made a comparison with the existing players at the club. Like Martinelli and Saka, Pino is a player who continues to develop at just 19 years of age. Whilst he feels Martinelli is a player with a higher ceiling, it is interesting to hear that on the right, there’s potentially not even eclipse Saka.
“I think if Arsenal pays €40m (£34m), it is a deal to his potential rather than what he has done up until now. This season is very important for him because I think Villarreal will focus on three competitions and will try to win a knockout competition and fight for the Champions League, something they didn’t do last season.
He added: “If Arsenal gets him, I think they are getting a good player. Not better than [Gabriel] Martinelli, I would say that Martinelli has a bigger potential. Not better than Bukayo Saka, not yet, but still a good player.”
Pino could cost Arsenal as much as €45m (£38m), according to some reports. However, a clear drawback in Pino is that he does not feature much as a centre-forward like Cody Gakpo has done.
Therefore, his arrival would not add the depth to Jesus and Eddie Nketiah that other wide forwards might. That said, his potential future as an attack-minded number eight, similar to Cazorla’s most effective role at the club, might be a potential bonus.
READ NEXT:
Arsenal's next six fixtures compared to Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest updates and rumours from the Emirates Stadium
Full Arsenal Premier League fixture list for 2022/23
Big Arsenal Forum: Answer the call as we ask fans 7 key questions
Arsenal eclipse Manchester United into transfer delight as Frenkie de Jong deal crumbles
