Arsenal are prepared to pay £45m to acquire the services of Olympique Lyon midfielder, Nabil Fekir ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Arsene Wenger is understandably eager to sign the 24-year-old beforehand in order to get him at a relatively cheaper rate. We all have witnessed the meteoric rise of transfer fees over a player who performs well on the world stage – Alexis Sanchez and James Rodriguez of Real Madrid are some of the prime examples.
However, is Fekir the right man for the Arsenal job?
The highly rated Ligue 1 star is single-handedly leading a young Olympique Lyonnais squad through the current campaign with 21 goals in 31 appearances in all competitions. An astounding tally for a player who is in no sense a centre-forward.
Club president Jean-Michel Aulas has expressed his views deeming the 24-year-old to be more influential to the club than Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian superstar, Neymar. Blessed with a terrific left foot, Fekir can play the number ten role and lead the attacking lineup on a consistent basis. His incredible free kick against the league leaders in the 2-1 win last month only showed a glimpse of what he is capable of.
Fekir plays a position which is already well covered by Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The Frenchman is a ball dominant wide man who plays in the same role as the former duo and will only end up as a surplus to Wenger’s requirements.
His transfer is even more needless now that the club has handed out massive long-term deals to both Ozil and Mkhitaryan. The North London club are also currently negotiating a deal for Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere.
The creative role of the Arsenal midfield is well covered and what Wenger needs right now are a centre-half and an out-and-out winger. While Alex Iwobi has filled up the void left behind by Sanchez, the Nigerian has failed to meet the lofty standards of Premier League football.
Danny Welbeck has also featured in the position sporadically and has looked less than impressive.
The second priority that Wenger should be addressing is their defence. The Gunners currently the worst record among the top 6 Premier League clubs with 36 goals conceded. The backline has looked vulnerable more often than not and Wenger has struggled to adjust to the newly adapted back-three formation.
While Per Mertesacker will be retiring after this season, Wenger needs to bring in a competent centre-back in order their resurrect their status as title contenders.
