Arsenal are already looking ahead to the summer transfer window, and Shay Given believes one of the players identified as a target by Mikel Arteta is ‘special’.
Andrea Berta was busy last summer, spending over £250 million on eight new additions. This significant investment has provided Arteta with as deep a squad as any, and this recruitment approach has ultimately paid dividends thus far; Arsenal sit top of the Premier League and are still able to pull off an unprecedented quadruple heading into late February.
That said, Wednesday night’s draw with Wolves will have set alarm bells ringing for Arteta, highlighting that the North London club certainly cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
Arsenal already have their sights set on Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, while further reinforcements may need to be made in midfield to improve the Gunners’ chances of sustaining their spell at the top over the coming years.
Man Utd to battle Arsenal for ‘special’ midfielder
Mikel Merino is currently out with a foot injury, while Martin Odegaard continues to struggle with niggling fitness problems which have disrupted his season. These setbacks have placed a significant burden on Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice, and thus, Arsenal are looking to strengthen in the middle of the park in the summer.
It’s well documented that Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali was a player of interest to the Gunners in January, and Berta may reignite this interest in the upcoming transfer window.
Speaking on TNT Sports ahead of Newcastle’s 6-1 win over Qarabag on Wednesday night, former Magpies shot-stopper Shay Given described Tonali as ‘special’, while claiming that the Italian reminds him of Andrea Pirlo.
“He really stepped up with his two goals at Villa Park at the weekend,” Given said.
“Look, he’s a special player, he’s a really talented player. There has been a lot of talk from his agent in the last couple of weeks, a lot of noise around him as well about is he there for the long-term.
“I hope he is [there for the long-term] because, I might say a big statement here, but he reminds me of Pirlo. He makes things look simple.”
Newcastle have reportedly placed a staggering £100 million price tag on Tonali – a value that reflects his importance to Eddie Howe’s squad. On top of this staggering fee, the Metro report that Arsenal may also have to fend off interest from Manchester United to land the 25-year-old.
Would Sandro Tonali be the right fit for Arsenal?
The clear obstacles in the way of a prospective move for Tonali will make it difficult for Arsenal to land him, although he’d certainly be a shrewd acquisition for the Gunners.
While Given has compared the player to Pirlo, a more accurate comparison would be Arsenal’s Declan Rice. Tonali is certainly an effective passer, but his greatest attributes are his athleticism and ability to cover ground, eating up the turf with his relentless physicality.
He’s an effective all-round midfielder, rather than merely a metronome, and that would make him the perfect rotational piece to compliment Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
The issue, of course, would be that Newcastle’s demands mean Arsenal aren’t likely to be able to secure the Italy international’s services for a fee that would reflect this squad role. Thus, it wouldn’t be wise to hedge your bets on a deal materialising.
