Arsenal: 12 Granit Xhaka transfer replacements

Eduardo Camavinga – Rennes

A name that has somehow cropped up despite the astronomical asking price and continent-wide clamour for his signature is Eduardo Camavinga.

Arsenal are said to be keen (who isn’t?) on the Frenchman who is the outstanding young talent in world football. At just 18 years old, his already eye-catching talent is backed up by a clear vision of just how much better he can be.

Operating as a defensive midfielder on the left side, for someone of his frame he boasts immense tackling ability as a screen in front of the back four. His tackles and interceptions have him in the top 86th percentile, which take away from his tackling ability on its own which, in all three thirds of the pitch, has him in the 94th and above. Across Europe there are few better.

He would add ball retention and balance on the left of a pivot, where his wand of a left foot can pick out passes at all ranges. Camavinga is someone who just makes the game look easy.

The standout feature across his skillset is the timing with which he makes decisions. Whether it’s a cross-field pass into space or the drop of a shoulder to burst through the lines, he cuts the figure of a seasoned professional, not a kid. Such vision and natural understanding is a rarity.

Less of a progressive passer and more a carrier, his two-footedness and exceptional close control makes him a supreme dribbler, sitting in the 94th percentile for completed dribbles and carries into the final third.

He is linked but it would force KSE to take out a 4535th loan to buy him. He is an Arsenal fan, mind you, but the likelihood is slim at best. Yet if he did, he’d transform this team.