A big part of Mikel Arteta’s recruitment philosophy alongside technical director Edu has been a focus on lowering the average age of the group and to not fall into the trap of investing in players with no long-term value. A problem that has seen unwanted assets forced out with no financial benefit to the club.
However, in a window like 2022 when there is such an emphasis on adding guaranteed quality to ensure Arsenal push toward their Champions League target there has been questions about continuing with this strategy. In fairness, a move for Gabriel Jesus shows the ability to combine both long-term value for money and add immediate quality.
The central midfield however was an area of startlingly obvious need to upgrade. So far, that has not happened, and Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard will be the likely starting trio, come the first game of the new season.
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Fabio Vieira, an offensive and creative attacker who can play in midfield has, in fairness, been signed. But it was the left-sided central midfield role that many have been calling to see a serious upgrade in.
Youri Tielemans was a club priority, but Arsenal remain resistant to submitting an official offer despite the player’s willingness to join this summer. Yet he is not the only Belgian midfielder on the club’s radar.
Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri reported that Arsenal are amongst a number of clubs looking at Lille midfielder Amadou Onana. The 20-year-old has impressed in his sole season in Ligue 1 after moving from Hamburg and now valued as high as €30m (£25.9m).
Brought in as a replacement for Boubakary Soumare, who joined Tielemans at Leicester, Onana has gradually integrated himself into the side. He is in direct competition with Albert Sambi Lokonga in the Arsenal first-team right now and beat out the Gunners midfielder in the last round of call-ups.
This does complicate matters and, in all honesty, Onana isn’t the type of signing that would dent the starting aforementioned trio in any way. Lokonga has been regularly labelled as a player ‘not ready’ for regular first-team action and Onana is on a similar level.
If this is the contingency plan that Edu has should the Gunners miss out on their primary midfield targets, it is going to struggle to ignite confidence from supporters in the club’s plan. Missing Raphinha and possibly Lisandro Martinez to shift toward Onana does not sound good.
That said, there is clear quality and potential if Onana was signed alongside some solid business, it could be appreciated for what it is. The fear is, like Lokonga, he becomes a lone midfield addition in a summer that demanded so much more.
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