Pain in the Arsenal
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Everything you need to know about Arsenal target Edon Zhegrova

By Adam Schultz

LILLE, FRANCE - MARCH 06: Edon Zhegrova of Lille OSC celebrates after scoring his team's 4th goal during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Lille OSC and Clermont Foot at Stade Pierre Mauroy on March 6, 2022 in Lille, France. (Photo by Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images)
LILLE, FRANCE - MARCH 06: Edon Zhegrova of Lille OSC celebrates after scoring his team's 4th goal during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Lille OSC and Clermont Foot at Stade Pierre Mauroy on March 6, 2022 in Lille, France. (Photo by Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images) /
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LILLE, FRANCE – MARCH 11: Edon Zhegrova #23 of Lille OSC controls the ball during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Lille OSC and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Pierre Mauroy on March 11, 2022, in Lille, France. (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
LILLE, FRANCE – MARCH 11: Edon Zhegrova #23 of Lille OSC controls the ball during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Lille OSC and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Pierre Mauroy on March 11, 2022, in Lille, France. (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images) /

Areas of concern

The obvious downside for Zhegrova is that he hasn’t played that much top-flight football. Just 405 minutes for Lille. For players coming from overseas, the transition to the Premier League is often a tough one and unlike anything they have faced before.

His physical stature could also prove troublesome, as we know Premier League defenders are not shy about throwing their weight around. Nicolas Pepe failed to get fully up to speed after shining for Lille in Ligue 1 and it will be a big jump up for Zhegrova.

That is not to say that he will not flourish, as we know by now not to doubt Mikel Arteta’s taste in new signings, but there are a couple of things that do raise some concerns with the 23-year-old.

Both can be easily rectified, and given that he will likely be a bench player, that might aid his acclimatisation period. He will not be expected to come in and set the world on fire like record-signing Pepe was. He can go about his business on the training ground and work on getting better.

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