Arsenal could form “dream” duo by signing £50m Star player, he’d bring out the best form in Odegaard
Arsenal are among the teams interested in signing Alexis Mac Allister this summer and it’s thought that a switch to north London ‘would appeal’ to the World Cup-winning midfielder…
What’s the latest on Arsenal’s interest in Alexis Mac Allister?
A report from TEAMtalk earlier this month suggested that the Gunners along with several Premier League teams, including arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, are monitoring the Argentine’s situation at the Amex Stadium, with transfer insider Graeme Bailey suggesting that he “wants to leave Brighton this summer.”
That could change if the Seagulls qualify for Europe but currently sat in seventh place, tied on points with Liverpool and Brentford, it will be no easy feat to achieve.
Brighton were demanding around £50m in the recent January transfer window and according to journalist Paul Brown, a move to Arsenal in particular “would certainly appeal to him,” as he told GiveMeSport.
Who could benefit from Mac Allister’s arrival at Arsenal?
Mac Allister would undoubtedly add a different edge to Mikel Arteta’s engine room, whether you think he would walk into the Spaniard’s starting XI or not. At just 24, he could easily usurp the likes of Granit Xhaka, 30, and Thomas Partey, 29, in the next couple of seasons.
His introduction could be good news for Martin Odegaard, who is likely among the candidates to be the Gunners’ player of the season, with his creative exploits proving to be the difference-maker between a top-four finish and challenging for the title.
The Norwegian maestro ranks second in the squad for goal contributions (10 goals and six assists) and leads the way for key passes per game, via WhoScored.
Mac Allister has been immense in front of goal this season, providing Roberto De Zerbi with seven goals, whilst his average of 2.28 shots per 90 over the last year sees him rank among the top 4% of his positional peers across Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues, as per FBref, suggesting that he can add additional firepower to the attack, without giving up much defensively, as he ranks second in the Brighton squad for tackles per game.
For further context, both Xhaka and Partey have chipped in with seven goals, the same number as the Seagulls star on his own, with neither managing more than his 2.4 tackles per league outing either.
Not only would the 24-year-old, who journalist Pete O’Rourke lauded as a “dream signing for a number of clubs”, lower the burden on Odegaard’s shoulders to deliver in and around the penalty box but he’d do so without creating large gaps in midfield, thanks to his work rate and defensive quality.
The “unplayable” machine – in the words of reporter Roy Nemer – would evidently be a solid summer signing and one that could help Edu Gaspar form a frightening midfield duo for Arteta to deploy next season.
