Arsenal are in the midst of monumental transition period. Mikel Arteta has been tasked with overseeing that rebuild and steering the Gunners back towards Champions League football. The COVID-19 pandemic has troubled the finances of many a club, with teams only looking to complete low-risk moves or loan deals.
At Arsenal, it’s said Raul Sanllehi and Edu Gaspar are trying to go against that mould and break the bank for Thomas Partey who has a £44.5million release clause.
In addition, the North London club are looking to complete a swap + fee deal for Roma’s Justin Kluivert. Henrikh Mkhitaryan who just spent a year on loan in Italy would be part of the deal that would require an additional £18m to secure the services of the Dutchman.
Here is what Justin Kluivert brings to Arsenal
Profile:
Age – 21
Height – 5’8”
Weight – 66kg
Position: LW
Right-Footed
For those who don’t know, the 21-year-old is the son of the legendary Patrick Kluivert and of course, with such a surname, there’s a lot of expectation on the youngster’s shoulders. He has shown glimpses of brilliance but never over a sustained period. This season, the winger has scored 7 goals and provided 1 assist in 27 appearances, a return that sees the Italian side more than happy to sell him.
Confident in Dribbling
As a player that said he’s modelled his game on Cristiano Ronaldo, it makes sense for Kluivert to be pacey dribbling winger with bags of flair. The diminutive winger has been described as a player that is always looking to take his man on, regardless of how tight the space is. His brilliant close control coupled with a jolty acceleration make him a handful for any of the Premier League’s current full-backs.
Despite not having his best campaign, the 21-year-old has still averaged 2 successful take-ons a game this season. The youngster also channels his dribbling ability into creating overloads centrally against the centre-backs. He has a tendency to cut in from the right often looking to either play in the striker, attempt a shot, or run at the centre-backs.
Long Range Shooting
Just like a young Cristiano Ronaldo, Kluivert is privy to a long shot or two. The youngster thrives on cutting in from the left flank and taking snapshots, hoping to catch the keeper unawares. This is a trait that is severely needed at the Emirates with Arsenal sides of the past accused of trying to pass the ball into the net.
However, this current Arsenal team is void of all forms of creativity and perhaps needs an attacking outlet other than Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang that will attempt shots from outside the box. This season, the Dutchman has attempted 2 shots a game with at least one of them being from outside the box each game.
Switch of Flanks
Mikel Arteta’s vision for Arsenal is a fluid and free-flowing style of play where players create angles for each other as they interchange their positions. Justin Kluivert fits that philosophy perfectly as he is adept at playing on both flanks.
This season, the 21-year-old has played 18 games as a left-winger scoring 6 goals and 7 on the right-hand side. Kluivert’s versatility is an attractive trait in the modern game and an attribute that Arteta will use to his advantage.
