Arsenal target Merino alternative who’d be unreal next to Rice & Odegaard

It’s been a relatively quiet summer for Arsenal thus far, with a mostly successful pre-season tour of the US and the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori the only notable events.

However, with less than a month until the transfer window closes, the Gunners appear to be making progress in the market.

By all accounts, Mikel Merino will be part of Mikel Arteta’s squad by the end of the month.

That said, while the Spaniard looks to be an exciting addition to the Gunners’ midfield, recent reports have now linked the North Londoners to another star who could provide the Sociedad ace with some competition and look incredible alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Italian publication TuttoJuve, Arsenal are one of several sides keen on signing Adrien Rabiot this summer.

The report claims that the Gunners see the Frenchman as an ideal player to bring ‘experience and stability’ to their young side.

Alongside the North Londoners, the report has revealed that Liverpool and Real Madrid have also shown great interest in signing the former Juventus star this summer.

It could prove challenging to get ahead of the chasing pack, but considering Rabiot’s quality and the fact he’s available for free, this seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up, and he could be the perfect person to play alongside Rice and Odegaard.

Why Rabiot would be great for Rice and Odegaard

So, if Arsenal were to acquire both Merino and Rabiot this summer, they would almost certainly be in direct competition for a place in the starting lineup, as the Frenchman primarily occupies the central midfield area, just like the Spaniard.

The biggest pros for Sociedad ace are that last season, he won the most duels across Europe’s top seven leagues and produced 13 goals and assists in 45 appearances. However, while those are impressive statistics, the former Juventus man comes out on top when we take a look at their underlying numbers.

For example, while the former Newcastle United ace does better in a few metrics, such as progressive passes, shot-creating actions, tackles, blocks, aerial duels won and ball recoveries per 90, that’s about it.

In contrast, the “world-class” Frenchman, as dubbed by French legend David Trezeguet, comes out on top in several metrics, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy, key passes, and interceptions per 90 minutes.

He also makes fewer mistakes leading to a shot, is dispossessed less often and miscontrols the ball fewer times per 90 than the Sociedad man.

This combination of attacking ability, knowledge of when to intercept passes, and stability on the ball would make the Saint-Maurice-born talent the perfect midfielder to accompany Rice and Odegaard.

His reassuring presence and vast experience in the left-eight would allow the Norwegian maestro to focus his attention on what happens at the sharp end of the pitch, potentially increasing his already impressive tally of 22 goals and assists from last season.

Likewise, the former Paris Saint-Germain ace would allow the Gunners’ £105m man to permanently move into the six role, which he himself described as his “best position” last season.

Ultimately, while Merino will be a level-raiser for Arsenal next season, adding Rabiot to the starting lineup will have an even more significant impact and allow the club’s other midfield stars to flourish in their best positions without worrying about the left-eight area.