Arsenal are now very keen on signing an “extraordinary” midfielder, who has been likened to former player Granit Xhaka.
Gunners join race for midfielder despite summer rebuild
Following Thomas Partey’s departure, it was necessary for Mikel Arteta to rebuild his midfield in the summer transfer window, and Martin Zubimendi was undoubtedly the headline signing, with the Spaniard arriving from Real Sociedad.
The midfielder has made a fantastic start to life at the Emirates Stadium, perhaps most impressively bagging a brace in the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest back in September, which led to high praise from Arteta.
Zubimendi isn’t the only new arrival either, as Cristian Norgaard joinied from Brentford, and attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze arrived from Crystal Palace, with the 13-time England international picking up two assists in his first five Premier League outings.
Despite the scale of the rebuild that has taken place, the north Londoners have now joined the race for another central midfielder, according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Arsenal are looking to sign FC Porto’s Victor Froholdt.
In fact, despite widespread interest in Froholdt, with Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Atletico Madrid also in the race, the Gunners are said to be ‘particularly keen’, viewing him as a potential ‘cornerstone’ of their future midfield.
Arteta’s staff have been left particularly impressed with the Dane’s ‘passing range and intelligence’, and his ability to dictate the tempo of the game has led to comparisons to Xhaka, who spent seven seasons at the Emirates Stadium.
Porto are open to offers for the 19-year-old, but the Portuguese club would be looking to hold out for a relatively high fee of around €50m – €60m (£43m – £52m).
Froholdt could be "extraordinary" long-term addition for Arsenal
Once dubbed “extraordinary” by a Danish analyst, the teenager is a very well-rounded central midfielder, as showcased by his performance across a number of important metrics over the past year.
Statistic
Average per 90
Assists
0.23 (96th percentile)
Successful take-ons
1.43 (97th percentile)
Progressive carries
2.71 (97th percentile)
Blocks
1.58 (86th percentile)
After impressing for FC Copenhagen, amassing eight goals and six assists in 62 games, the Dane has since gone on to establish himself as a key player for Porto, starting all eight Liga Portugal games so far this season.
The youngster went on to bag his first goal for Denmark in his side’s 6-0 victory against Belarus last week, while also picking up an assist and maintaining a 93% pass-completion rate.
Having signed Norgaard and Zubimendi in the summer, there isn’t a pressing need for Arteta to bring in a new central midfielder, but Froholdt is starting to prove he could be a fantastic long-term addition to the squad.
