Arsenal: Pablo Fornals a welcome return to transfer spectrum

Arsenal have been down this road before, and while it may seem like a stretch, someone has to do it, and Pablo Fornals can be that man.

There was a time in my life when the only thing I wanted for Arsenal was Isco. It was the solution to every problem we ever had. Or at least I was convinced of it. And then, after like… three years, reality set in (and so did Granit Xhaka). We weren’t going to get Isco.

I wanted him to challenge Mesut Ozil. I wanted him to play alongside Ozil, to complement Ramsey, to do all of these things that only Isco could. At least in my mind.

Then we found out about this “other Isco.” This guy named Pablo Fornals who was, as they put it, the next best thing to Isco. He was as close to Isco as you could get without getting Isco. And that’s actually  a pretty cool thing.

But there is a certain price tag that comes with being “the next best thing” to Isco, and that price tag was a bit too much, not to mention Arsene Wenger wasn’t in the market to actually challenge Ozil (sorry, that was vindictive).

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

The big move didn’t happen. He went to Villareal, where he continued with four goals and 13 assists in his first year, a total that was very – dare I say it – Isco-esque. And, at just 22-years-old, he is more than ever at that age where big things are on the horizon.

Right on schedule, he is back in the Arsenal transfer spectrum, on the eve of Aaron Ramsey’s pending departure. Is there a coincidence there beyond my dead dream of finding someone like Isco? Yes.

Because, while Wenger may not have been on the market for someone like Fornals, this club, in it’s current state, actually is. Ramsey is leaving. And while there are plenty of up-and-comers making their way through the ranks, having a little experience and some hardcore top-tier numbers to back up the resume – that’s something pretty special.

Fornals has all of that. And, in a remarkable twist of fate, it is being reported that that he may only cost £18m.

I don’t need to tell you how much of a bargain that is for a guy that can play all across the midfield, like Ramsey. A guy that puts up hard stats, like Ramsey. In a world where we really need to think about replacing him, Fornals is one hell of an option.