With Arsenal seemingly ending the year on a pretty low note in the Premier League, Wenger will surely be looking to bring in fresh recruitments coming transfer window, aiming to beef up the attack to aid Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez for the second half of the season.
Numerous names have emerged in the past few weeks, who could make a move to Emirates Stadium. The list includes the names of Julian Draxler, Marco Reus and Dimitri Payet. However, apart from all those high-profile targets, another name, which is not that big and perhaps realistic for Arsenal’s winter shopping, is Goncalo Guedes.
According to Portugal news agencies, Arsenal are looking to make Benfica winger Goncalo Guedes their primary target. With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looking to move elsewhere owing to lack of opportunities, Guedes could be a perfect replacement for him in the wings. The Ox has one and a half years left on his Arsenal contract and has not started negotiations with the north London side to prolong his stay.
With Draxler also being scouted by many other clubs that include Real Madrid, PSG and Juventus and Reus an unlikely arrival, Guedes could be a great option. However, Arsenal will face stiff competition from Manchester United in landing the Portuguese international. Out of England, Valencia came very close to signing Goncalo Guedes in the summer transfer window, but failed. Considering the way they have performed this season, a second attempt is likely.
The 19-year old winger Benfica youth product has been touted as the next big thing in Portugal. With the ability to play on the wings as well as a secondary striker, he looks like the perfect Wenger material. He passes the ball with precision and can deliver menacing crosses from the wide areas consistently.
Benfica would also be unwilling to let go such a talent so early. But, Guedes’ current contract reportedly has a £54m release clause. If Manchester United or Arsenal meet the amount or offer a deal closer to it, Benfica are more than likely to accept it.
The wonder kid has come up through the ranks of Benfica’s youth academy and is now a regular starter in the side and has scored two goals this season, and registered two assists. He has a shot accuracy of 43%.
After starting brilliantly this season, Arsenal have again fallen behind their title ambitions and the fans have been quite vocal about their two recent defeats. Bringing in Guedes could be a big step in pacifying the fan base and challenging with more mojo up front.
