Arsenal: Emil Forsberg the perfect type of player to target

Emil Forsberg is being heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, with his agent stoking the fires with recent comments. Here’s why he is the perfect type of player to target.

Arsene Wenger will be Arsenal manager for the next two seasons. After announcing the signing of the new contract on Wednesday morning, the Gunners can move forward, however unhappy large factions of the fan base may feel, entering a key summer transfer window in which a stagnating squad must be freshened up.

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There are a number of positions that are in need of significant improvements. Full-back, midfield, striker could all lay claim to being the primary need of the squad. However, I would suggest that that tag should reside for the the wide position.

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And that is why the reports linking Emil Forsberg with a move to the Emirates are so exciting, and while it may be early in the transfer window with many reports little more than rumour at this point, recent comments from his agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, do reinforce the suggestion. Cetinkaya revealed that big clubs are interested in signing Forsberg, without ever naming what clubs those were, and suggested that Forsberg is at a time in his career where he would like to challenge himself:

"“I will not comment on the clubs involved. There are big clubs who are very interested in Emil. He has made history in Germany. Of course, you know RB want to keep Emil, you need to constantly make sure to make Emil satisfied. He has paid back the club ten-fold. Maybe it’s time to test himself at a big club.”"

And that is extremely exciting for me personally. Forsberg as a player is the exact type that Arsenal should be pursuing this summer. Not only is he a natural wide man, primarily playing on the left wing, cutting inside on his more suited right foot, playing incisive passes in behind defences and getting shots on goal, but he is technically extremely gifted.

He is agile, has great balance, can beat a player with ease, but then has the vision and the nous to produce at the end of a mazy dribble. His eight goals and 19 assists in just 27 Bundesliga starts for a free-flowing, cutting RB Leipzig team are proof of his attacking abilities, and at 25 years of age, he is now just beginning to reach the prime of his career.

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Whether Forsberg signs for Arsenal or not remains to be seen. Rarely is it wise to pin your hopes on the addition of one particular player. However, in regards to position and style, he is perfect, and while other options may end up being more realistic or more astute, this is the type of player that Wenger should be pursuing as he looks to reinvigorate his squad.