Arsenal Can Fill Lesser Known Vacancy With Goncalo Guedes

Arsenal look to be ready to play out a quiet rest of the month, but they should take a look at what Goncales Guedes can offer the club both now and in the future.

Arsene Wenger has made it very apparent that Arsenal are probably done with transfers this January. While he said he would have a very busy month at the onset, clearly all he meant was that he would be busy securing Mohamed Elneny’s work visa.

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The excitement surrounding Elneny is palpable because he is the first outfield signing Arsenal have landed since Gabriel Paulista. However, as is the case with just about every transfer window, Arsenal supporters are left wondering if all the club’s needs are actually met. Or if maybe a luxury signing wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

One potential ‘luxury’ signing is Goncalo Guedes. The Benfica winger has been likened to the next Cristiano Ronaldo (who hasn’t?) and has been showing that at just 19 years of age, there is a bright future in store for this Portuguese star-to-be.

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But he does not need to cite his bright future in his claim to be a bit more than a luxury signing for Arsenal. Former Gunner’s champion Luis Boa Morte has been using his post at Sporting Lisbon to give Arsenal an up close look at some of the best young talents to emerge out of the smaller Iberian nation.

Guedes plays as a left-sided winger for the Potuguese side and has already made appearances with the Portuguese National team. In 1,482 minutes with Benfica, he has netted four goals and added six assists across 25 appearances (via Transfermarkt). Easy to see why there is so much hubbub around Guedes.

While many will point to Arsenal’s stock of attacking youth talent as proof that Guedues would be nothing more than a luxury, we have to consider several things. First of all, although it might be sacrilege to say this just after Theo Walcott’s ten year mark at Arsenal, the club does not have a solid option on the left behind Alexis Sanchez. Walcott has proven to be inconsistent and he is naturally a right-sided midfielder anyway.

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Similarly, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is also a right-sider, as is Joel Campbell, who has no potential on the left unless we want to relegate him to crossing duties alone. Serge Gnabry could be construed as next in line but he, too, does not play on the left.

Next up would be Ainsley Maitland-Niles. You guessed it, Ten appearances on the right side, just one on the left. All of these Arsenal solutions play center and right.

Guedes is a left-sider through and through, with the ability to play centrally as well. At just 19 years old, he has the potential to be a long term solution with enough talent to be an immediate impact. Plus, his market value has not ballooned out of this world to match his potential just yet. However, with so many teams pursuing him, eventually it is going to happen.

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Arsenal would be well-served shoring up his talent sooner rather than later.