Arsenal Are Leading The Race For This Barcelona Midfielder: What Will He Bring To North London?

In a recent report, Fichaes mentioned that Arsenal are leading the race for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer. It has been revealed that the Gunners are keeping tabs on the Dutch talent’s situation at the Catalan club.

De Jong’s Good Run Of Form In La Liga

De Jong managed to put in a run of impressive displays at the heart of Barcelona’s midfield in the previous campaign. The Dutch midfield ace made 46 appearances for the Catalan giants last season, scoring two goals and grabbing two assists across various competitions.

On his day, the 28-year-old can still be a class act in La Liga. He has distributed the ball relatively well after completing 94.4% of his attempted passes in the Spanish first division (stats via fbref.com).

His current contract at the Nou Camp will expire next summer. Thus, it makes sense for Arsenal to try and come to a pre-contract agreement with him this January.

What Will De Jong Bring To Arsenal?

De Jong is a solid tackler of the ball and can earn possession back for his team when he is playing with confidence on the pitch. He doesn’t mind clearing the danger when required and is an accurate passer of the ball as well.

The Dutch talent can shoot the ball with power from long range and is a decent dribbler with the ball at his feet. De Jong has got a wealth of experience at the highest level. The experienced talent is primarily a box-to-box midfielder but can also play as a holding midfielder if needed. However, the jury is still out on whether he can make a smooth transition to life in the Premier League if the Gunners manage to sign him this winter.

De Jong would bring more quality and depth to Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta’s midfield. He is good enough to fight for regular first-team football at the North London club over the next few years.

At 28, de Jong is playing in his prime, which makes him a worthy target for the Gunners to pursue in this transfer window. Hence, Arteta should focus on getting a deal done for him this January or at the end of this campaign.