I revealed in an earlier blog that Unai Emery was looking at the name of a player that was not on everyone’s radar and rumour has it that it may be defensive midfielder, Steven Nzonzi, as per sources close to the London club.
According to reports in Daily Star, the Gunners are odds-on to sign the midfielder this summer. The bookies reckon Emery is set for a reunion with N’Zonzi at the Emirates. Nzonzi was thought to be an Arsenal target last season but somehow the move didn’t transpire, so what’s changed now?. The arrival of his former Sevilla Manager, Unai Emery, may have made all the difference, the two have a mutual respect for each other and there is little doubt that Emery helped Nzonzi through a difficult settling in period at the club back in 2015/16.
With Emery’s guidance, they won the Europa League in his first full season and Nzonzi was regarded as one of the main reasons because of ability to win the ball and distribute a precise ball upfield.
The 29-year-old is not a one trick pony that just breaks up play, he has finesse and quality and if added to the new incarnation of Arsenal, he would add much-needed steel in front of the defence.
He is a ready-made fit for Arsenal and his time in the premiership will certainly be seen as a major plus, removing the uncertainty about new players arriving in the English league. It’s said that if an approach were made, Nzonzi would jump at the chance to return to the premiership where he became a regular for Stoke under managers Tony Pulis and later Mark Hughes.
His performances were composed and assured for the Potters and led to a great deal of acclaim, also earning him a number of man of the match awards in his time there.
However, it’s the appeal of working with Emery again that may bring him to the Emirates if a deal can be struck, but it’s unlikely that he will come cheap, it may cost the Gunners in excess of £25million to prize him away from Sevilla.
That fee may not seem so bad when you consider that Chelsea spent £32 Million on N’Golo Kanté who is just two years younger. The role of defensive midfielder has been an issue at Arsenal for some time and rather than spend on a player familiar with the role, then manager, Arsene Wenger experimented with players who didn’t have the natural flair or ability such as Francis Coquelin and more recently Granit Xhaka.
Nzonzi is the genuine article and is a passionate player that will contest every ball, something that Emery admires and although the Frenchman’s temperament can get him in hot water, he would be ideal for those matches where Arsenal have been dominated across the middle, normally by lesser clubs. Sven Mislintat is also known to admire the player and thinks that he would be excellent value in the position.
