Arsenal: 6 Cut-Price Transfers to Fill Dani Ceballos’ Boots

Eberechi Eze – £16m

The 22-year-old made a name for himself at QPR this past season, scoring 14 and assisting eight from across the forward line. He played at central midfield and the number ten role most often, but occasionally drifted wide into the half-spaces, facilitating possession and creating a ludicrous amount of chances. A consummate mezzala.

He played an average of 1.8 key passes per game, totaling 82 for the season. He averaged just under a 90% passing rate, as the creative hub of a rather stolid QPR setup. He started all 46 games they played this season, ranked first in goals and second in assists, and is in the top three of every other statistical category related to attacking play. Not bad, right?

The young Nigerian is also a dead-ball specialist and, besides scoring four penalties last campaign, was the mastermind behind most of their free kicks and corner routines. He’s a threat from distance as well, featuring in the upper realms of the Championship for goals scored from outside the area.

Pros of Signing Eze

He’s got a lot of raw power and potential which is always useful. He’s certainly one for the future, but he has the physicality and guile to make it in England. He’s also such a dynamic and unpredictable player, thus he could potentially rip right through Arsenal’s creative impotence.

Eze reminds me a lot of Wilfried Zaha in the way he pops up all over the pitch and controls the creative phases. He always shows for passes with an idea in mind, and is skilled on one-on-ones both centrally and wide. In fact, he’s reminiscent of Ceballos in the U-21 Euros, which is a massive compliment.

Cons of Signing Eze

Again, reminds me a lot of Wilfried Zaha.

His workrate and attitude aren’t what they need to be in order to play for this Arsenal outfit. He’s got a serious ego to match his serious talent, getting frustrated easily when things don’t go his way. His youth can often lead to petulance, something he would have to stamp out immediately.

Furthermore, his defensive contributions also aren’t up to snuff as he tends to stay forward and expect balls played to his feet. His first touch is also occasionally clumsy, and while he’s very skilled on the ball, he has trouble retaining possession under heavy pressure.

Frankly, he’s a risky signing if we expect him to solve all of our problems, especially since fellow Premier League sides have seen bids in the region of £12m knocked back, and QPR looking to hold out for closer to £20m.