According to The Sun, as cited by Metro, Arsenal are closing in on the capture of Tiago Tomas. The Sporting CP youngster has impressed the onlookers, including sporting director Edu, who has entered advanced negotiations with the Portuguese giants regarding a potential move in the summer. It appears Arsenal could strike a deal for a fee of around £20 million despite the player having a £52 million release clause.
Who is Tiago Tomas?
A product of the famed Sporting CP youth academy that has produced players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiago Tomas has been the latest youngster to make his breakthrough at the club this season. Although the 18-year-old did make a few appearances during the backend of last season, he has emerged as a key first-team option in the ongoing campaign, featuring in 18 matches so far.
A centre-forward by trade, Tomas has raised a few eyebrows with his performances, especially in the Europa League qualifying stages earlier in the season. Only eight of his 18 appearances in the league have been starts, but the youngster has still managed to be involved in four goals, thus helping Sporting continue their brilliant campaign.
As his scoring tally might suggest, Tomas is not a regular centre forward. Much like Arsenal’s very own Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, he is quite versatile and can operate in a wider attacking position. The teenager also has positional knowledge in the final third – making him quite an all-round striker. However, he does admittedly lack the physique and is yet to convert his chances into goals at the highest level of football so far.
Should Arsenal Sign Tiago Tomas?
Arsenal’s investment in Tiago Tomas resembles their gamble on Gabriel Martinelli a few years ago. The young Brazilian has impressed a lot since arriving at Emirates, and given Tomas’ skillset, it won’t be surprising to see him replicate that.
The young Portuguese youth international is blessed with positional skill, versatility and work-ethic that could turn him into quite a useful attacking for Mikel Arteta in the long run. For the more immediate future, Tomas could prove to be an alternative or perhaps even an upgrade over Eddie Nketiah while competing with the likes of Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette next season.
There is certainly an amount of risk associated with the acquisition of Tomas given his lack of experience at the highest level of football. But for a fee of just £20 million, he could indeed turn out to be a bargain for the Gunners as they look to brace themselves for a transitional period under Mikel Arteta next season.
