Arsenal eyeing £34m Tyler Adams transfer from RB Leipzig

Heading into the winter window as well as the following summer transfer period, the areas of the squad for Arsenal to target are fairly clearly laid out.

While the previous transfer window proved to be a brilliant period of business for Mikel Arteta as he brought in six signings for a total of around £150m, there were still some qualms over the areas left unseen to. Of course, you can’t complete an entire rebuild in one window. That’s madness.

These six additions have proven to be huge hits though, dispelling talk of them being nothing more than ‘backup’ signings to help the club compete with the Everton’s of this world. They were seen as the positions of most dire need, and were prioritised over striker and central midfield.

It is those last two areas that are set to be the busy ones for the Gunners.

Arsenal interested in transfer of £34m USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams from RB Leipzig as Mikel Arteta eyes reinforcements

Striker has been well documented with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah on their way out of the door, coughing up names like Dusan Vlahovic which have been quelled by the latest reports out of the UK.

However, midfield remains a key area to strengthen. Albert Sambi Lokonga is going from strength to strength as he acclimatises to the Premier League, improving various aspects of his game with every passing week. Equally, Ainsley Maitland-Niles has impressed in his outings despite public pleas to leave in the summer, although with less than two years to run on his deal a departure at the end of the season for regular football seems likely.

Mohamed Elneny will certainly be leaving come the summer as his contract expires, while life without Granit Xhaka is ticking along nicely and should the team’s form continue as it is then even he may be deemed expendable, just like he was a few months ago.

With the midfield thin already, another body in that position is being sought after and the name of Tyler Adams at RB Leipzig is one supporters may be familiar with.

Earlier in the summer his name was linked with the club as both an option to play right-back and defensive midfield. Very much a hybrid player capable of both, albeit preferring midfield, the links from The Athletic listed him as someone under serious consideration – but who would be tough to bring in during the window.

Reports coming SportBILD out of Germany had added fuel to those once dying fires, insisting that nothing has changed from the Gunners’ perspective and the interest remains.

Is this an option to be taken seriously?

Continued on next page…

Tyler Adams Fits What Arsenal Want to Build – Will Cost £34m

There are some interesting lines coming out of the report. It’s stated that many of RB Leipzig’s players are keen to use the club as a ‘springboard’ for moves to bigger clubs, something the Bundesliga side are generally content with as it fits the Red Bull model: they make players, or buy them cheap, and sell for healthy profits.

So long as the release clauses are met they’re happy to sanction those move, and Adams’ currently sits at €40m (£34m), which is a fee Arsenal would be willing to spend.

At this stage it’s only ‘interest’ from Arsenal with no more revealed, although given the reports back in the summer this is something that could easily be visited more concretely in the coming months, perhaps even the winter.

Set to be without Thomas Partey and Elneny for AFCON, as well as Xhaka for a while longer as he recovers from a knee injury, not needing to negotiate will work in the club’s favour if they need to get a deal done quicker. Everyone remembers the Partey deadline drama.

Spending time under Jesse Marsch and Julian Nagelsmann at RB Leipzig, the emphasis on tactical shape and positioning means he developed his all-round game superbly. A strong passer and tackler with an incredible engine, his reading of the game is excellent. Static movement is a cardinal sin at RB Leipzig.

He doesn’t mind the occasional pop at goal either, and his npxG/Sh of 0.13 is much better than Partey’s.

Any downsides? Well his injury record is a touch worrying at 22 years old, but in terms of profile and suitability to what Arsenal are building, it’s clear to see why they’re after him.

This is someone who has can come on leaps and bounds since his New York Red Bulls days but still has the room to improve and whose best years are ahead of him. Add to that the futures of Hector Bellerin, Calum Chambers and Cedric Soares all uncertain heading into next year and boasting a player who can operate in the inverted right-back role that Takehiro Tomiyasu plays as well as in midfield and it’s a transfer that makes plenty of sense.

An exciting young player who has looked solid in the Champions League this season.