Arsenal: Goncalo Guedes failure an opportunity to swoop

Arsenal are reportedly pecking after PSG youngster Goncalo Guedes, and this may be the exact right time to be doing so.

The World Cup has a way of bringing players into the spotlight and making them the subject of intense transfer speculation. Arsenal are already being drawn into such names as Hirving Lozano and Cristian Pavon primarily because of their World Cup exploits thus far.

It can also have an opposite effect, however. Consider Goncalo Guedes. Once called the next Cristiano Ronaldo (who isn’t?), Guedes has had trouble getting the engine started for PSG, but has a pretty solid season on loan in La Liga under his belt now.

In this season, he produced five goals and nine assists, primarily from a wide midfield role. Needless to say, once you say “wide midfield role” it’s inevitable that the Gunners tune in.

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This World Cup was an excellent chance for Guedes to sit in next to Ronaldo and strut his stuff.

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Only he did nothing of the sort. Guedes was a massive disappointment, particularly in his howler against Spain, and as such, he likely didn’t see any rise in his transfer value. More likely the opposite – it went down.

But we have to remember that the World Cup is a short, finicky competition, and judging players solely based on their performances there is unfair and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, either.

It will still have the expected effect, though. Guedes name is not in the forefront of a lot of rumors because so many other young, exciting players shot up the ranks and asserted themselves as more desirable targets.

Meaning that maybe, just maybe. Guedes would not cost the outlandish transfer fee that has followed him throughout his young career. Meaning that the Gunners may be in a fantastic position to let the hype take all the Pavon’s and the Lozano’s and take their price tags as well, while Arsenal can focus on a young player who, while he didn’t shine at the World Cup, is a fantastic player who has a lot to look forward to.

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It’s still a stretch, because it isn’t going to absolutely kill his value, but the competition won’t be as fierce to land his signature, if that is what the Gunners are after. Which they should be.