Arsenal: Desperation for Benfica’s Andrija Zivkovic warranted

Arsenal has been scouting young Benfica winger Andrija Zivkovic for some time now. Is now time for the club to move in for the kill? Is the player ready?

Arsenal has recently been linked with a host of wingers from all over the world. With wingers seemingly very abundant, although not currently present in North London, one winger has stood out this season for me, Andrija Zivkovic from SL Benfica in Portugal. This has been his stand-out year so far in his career. Is it time to move to a bigger club?

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Well, quite possibly. One question to ask of Zivkovic is competition. There are a great many wingers available on the continent. How does he stack up and does he differentiate himself from the rest? Well, he certainly his talented and productive.

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Joining Benfica from Serbian side Partizan in the summer of 2016, he has impressed every scout sent to view his talent. He is a natural winger capable of playing on both wings with just as much lethality. He’s already a mature individual, with plenty of national and domestic experience, and is now a national team regular,having played for Serbia at every age level.

He is also a winner. With Benfica, he has already won the Portuguese league and cup, while also triumphing in the U-20 World Championship with Serbia, something that not many players can boast.

In terms of individual, stylistic qualities, Zivkovic has two key traits that have turned many heads this year: His dribbling and his foot. Able to carry the ball at great pace, the Benfica winger slaloms his way past defenders with wonderful technique and close control. But more than just simply running past players, he then has the quality to deliver, especially off his left side.

Arsenal and Manchester United are both reportedly interested, and he has a release clause of £52.5 million, something both teams would seemingly pay willingly. Both are in need of wingers, and both feel that Zivkovic can offer that genuine width that is so invaluable in the Premier League and in the modern game.

For the Gunners, the only recognized winger is Alex Iwobi, with most of the “wide-men” tending to drift inside. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil both like to come inside and play more centrally, which isn’t a bad thing inherently, but can lead to a narrow and easily-defendable attack.

With teams like Arsenal and United chasing such a coveted youngster, is it time for him to leap into the untested waters of the Premier League? I think yes. He is a quality player who could adapt to the pace, power and unique tempo of the English game.

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The Serbian International would surpass some players already at the club, and, at only 21, still has plenty of room for growth. For me, Zivkovic is a must buy for Arsenal in the summer window. Only time will tell to see whether the club agrees.