According to Daily Mail, Arsenal are keeping tabs on Alassane Plea. It appears that the Gunners are in for a busy transfer window, with many players likely to be offloaded in a bid to revamp the squad. One of the players identified as a key target is Borussia Monchengladbach’s £15 million rated forward, as Mikel Arteta looks to prepare for life without Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah.
Alassane Plea: Player Profile
Alassane Plea has been a massive success in the Bundesliga, since joining Borussia Monchengladbach in 2018 for a fee of €23 million. He has netted 12 and 10 goals in his first two seasons respectively, flourishing particularly under the leadership of Marco Rose. He was notably involved in 20 league goals last season, helping the Foals secure Champions League football.
Plea, though, has had a difficult 2020/21 campaign. He has struggled with form while the up and down performances from Breel Embolo as well as the re-emergence of Lars Stindl have minimised his overall game-time at the club. As a result, the forward has mustered only six, as Gladbach struggle outside the Bundesliga top six.
Despite such performances, though, Plea is highly regarded in Germany for his versatile nature. He can operate out wide and can be compared to an ex-Bundesliga striker in Roberto Firmino, although the Frenchman clearly does not have the flair and trickery as his Brazilian counterpart.
Nevertheless, 28-year-old’s time under Rose has made him a tactically versatile and an overall reliable goalscorer, who can thrive on his day.
Is Plea A Good Option For Arsenal?
The effectiveness of Arsenal‘s potential acquisition of Alassane Plea could depend on a lot of factors. The Frenchman certainly isn’t quality enough to become the club’s number one striker, meaning it is essential that the Gunners keep hold of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the summer.
As for the duo of Lacazette and Nketiah, Plea could prove to be an upgrade over both. As mentioned earlier, the 28-year-old is quite versatile, which should make it easier for Arteta to accommodate him in attack alongside Aubameyang. He also has the tactical and positional sense that could be welcomed by the Arsenal manager, who is a stickler for shape and balance.
However, what makes Plea such an appealing option for Arsenal is his price tag of just £15 million. It could prove to be a potential bargain, especially if we consider the striker’s experience as well as his success in the Bundesliga and indeed in Ligue 1.
