The transfer window may only have shut earlier this month, but Arsenal are already making plans for January. It was a successful summer window for the Gunners, bringing in the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira, but they are likely to be in the market for new players in January.
One player who Arsenal are monitoring is midfielder Lovro Majer. The Gunners sent scouts to watch Majer for a second time this season as Croatia beat Denmark during the international break. It's been reported that Arsenal could be set to face competition from both Barcelona and Real Madrid for the midfielder, who has been dubbed the next Luka Modric.
With Arsenal keeping tabs on Majer, football.london is on hand everything you need to know about the Croatia international.
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Who is Lovro Majer?
Majer is a 24-year-old centre-midfielder who plays for Rennes. He has nine caps for the Croatia national team. Before signing for Rennes, Majer played in his native country with Lokomotiva Zagreb and Dinamo Zagreb.
What type of player is Lovro Majer?
The Rennes man is a central-midfielder, but has shown his versatility by playing slightly more advanced as a number 10 on a few occasions. Majer can impact games in the final third, providing 10 or more goal contributions in four of his six seasons as professional footballer.
Across his career, he has claimed either a goal or assist every 146 minutes on average [per transfermarkt]. His most productive campaign came in the 2020/21 season at Zagreb, where he scored seven goals and assisted nine and played mostly as a number 10.
Creativity is one of his biggest strengths, with an ability to pick out defence-splitting passes with his left foot. He possesses impressive vision and technique. Despite impressive numbers, Majer is by no means a guaranteed starter for Rennes and is yet to complete 90 minutes in Ligue 1 so far this season.
Why are Arsenal watching Lovro Majer?
It's no secret that Arsenal were looking to add a midfielder to their squad on deadline day, with a number of bids lodged - and failed - for Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz. With Mohamed Elneny out long-term and Thomas Partey suffering another injury setback on international duty with Ghana, there is a widely-held belief among Arsenal fans that a midfielder needs to be signed in January for additional cover.
However, valued at £44 million, Arsenal wouldn't just bring Majer to the club to provide back-up to the likes of Elneny and Partey. A full international for a country who reached the final at the last World Cup and with European experience under his belt, Majer would surely be expecting a decent portion of minutes if he was to sign for the Gunners.
Arsenal's midfield is ageing - Granit Xhaka, Partey and Elneny will all be 30-years-old by next June. The Gunners may be looking to the future with Majer, knowing that their current experienced midfield trio could decline over the next few years. Majer could be viewed as a long-term replacement for any of those players, although he may act as a back-up in the short-term, should he sign.
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