According to a recent report by Tuttosport (via Calciomercato), Arsenal have made a combined £37m bid to secure the services of Sampdoria pair Dennis Praet and Joachim Andersen during the summer transfer window. The same source has also claimed that the Gunners will face stiff competition from AC Milan in pursuit of the Serie A pair with Sampdoria holding out for an offer around £44m for their prized assets.
Andersen and Praet: Sampdoria’s Rising Stars
Both players have enjoyed a solid campaign with Sampdoria after putting in some impressive displays for them during the recently concluded Serie A season. Andersen has featured in 34 matches for the Italian outfit last season and has one assist to his name. More importantly, the Danish centre-back has made an average of 1.3 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 4.5 clearances per game in the Italian top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Praet has also enjoyed a fruitful season in the Sampdoria’s midfield as he scored two goals and grabbed three assists in 37 matches under Marco Giampaolo’s stewardship across all competitions. He has also secured three international caps for Belgium thus far.
The Gunners had to endure a difficult campaign under Unai Emery as they failed to secure UEFA Champions League football for next season. Thus, they need to invest wisely in the transfer market so that Emery can build a strong squad capable of challenging on all fronts in the coming years.
What Will The Serie A Duo Bring To North London?
Both Andersen and Praet are currently playing the best football of their respective careers and so they would add some much-needed depth to the Arsenal squad if Emery manages to lure them to the Emirates Stadium in this offseason.
Andersen is a physically dominant centre-back who can read the game well and make some crucial interceptions for his team. He is a no-nonsense defender who has enough pace in his locker to recover in 1v1 situations.
On the other hand, Praet is a box to box midfielder who can complete some lung-bursting dribbles from midfield to cause a lot of headaches for the opposition defenders. He is also an accurate passer of the ball which helps him create openings for his teammates in the final third.
Should The Gunners Sign The Dynamic Pair This Summer?
Emery should only look to recruit both of them if he is trying to bolster his squad. However, neither of the Serie A prospects are good enough to feature for Arsenal every week in the upcoming campaign and that is one aspect that should be kept in mind by the gaffer while making the bid.
