Arsenal have enjoyed a successful couple of months under new boss Unai Emery as they aim to adjust to life after 22-year servant Arsene Wenger departed the club at the end of last season.
On the whole, Emery has transformed the side with a more electric and direct attacking approach which is reminiscent of Wenger’s early years compared to his latter.
Young Uruguayan Lucas Torreira joined the club from Sampdoria in the summer and has quickly become a fan favourite, while Bernd Leno, Sokratis and Matteo Guendouzi have all established themselves in the Arsenal starting line-up.
Emery’s signings have largely been a success to date. At the halfway point, the Gunners are sitting in fifth place in the Premier League with 38 points, just two points off fourth-placed Chelsea but with plenty to do to catch up with north London rivals Tottenham who sit in second on 45 points.
In what is certainly a transitional period for the Gunners, Emery’s team did go a massive 22-games unbeaten in all competitions – stretching all the way back to the start of the season – before losing 3-2 to Southampton on 16 December.
With his side within touching distance of the top four, Emery will surely look to reinvest and improve upon his talented squad to ensure that they are once again competing in Europe’s most recognised competition.
The club has been linked with Sevilla talent Ever Banega, with his form for the La Liga outfit clearly good enough for him to be linked with a move to the Premier League club.
Banega has an £18 million release clause in his contract that is ready and waiting for a bigger club to come in and trigger a move.
Some of you may have heard of him, some of you may not have. Here is a guide to Ever Banega, his form, ability and who would be affected if he was brought to the club in the January transfer window.
Who is he?
Banega is a 30-year-old centre-midfielder who has played for some of the world’s biggest clubs.
Starting his career in his native country playing for Boca Juniors, like many others, Banega’s talents outgrew the South American league and saw him travel east to Spain, with Valencia agreeing upon a five-and-a-half-year deal for the Argentine, a deal that cost around €20 million.
Despite his age (18), his excellent passing ability and confidence were clear to see. The commanding fee paid by Valencia was considered a good deal by both parties.
Loan moves to Atlético Madrid and Newell’s Old Boys followed as Banega looked to gain more experience to add to his evidential talents. Banega struggled to get into the Valencia starting eleven and came close to joining Premier League side Everton but a complicated visa issue prevented him from heading to England.
Instead, his form for Valencia improved and he played a big part in the club’s 2009/10 season as they finished third in La Liga, qualifying for the Champions League in the process.
Injury problems – including a car accident that was caused by Banega forgetting to put his handbrake on as he filled his car with petrol – meant that he couldn’t gain longevity in the Valencia squad and thus he eventually moved to current club Sevilla for his first spell.
And who was the manager at Sevilla who decided to bring Banega to the club? Why Unai Emery of course!
Banega signed in 2014 for an undisclosed fee and had a great finish to his first season; winning the 2015 Uefa Europa League final 3-2 against Dnipro and winning the ‘Man of the Match’ award for his superb performance. Despite losing the Uefa Super Cup 5-4 to Barcelona, Banega scored the fastest ever goal in the competition through a third-minute free kick.
His last positive contribution (at least the first time around) for Sevilla was in the following Europa League final where the Spanish outfit defeated Liverpool 3-1 to win the club’s third and Banega’s second successive Europa League trophy. Banega was recognised as one of the best performers in the competition and was picked in the Europa League squad of the season.
A short-lived move to Serie A giants Inter Milan followed but little over a year later, Banega was back Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium to ply his trade for Sevilla once more.
Banega is valued on the international stage and has made a total of 65 appearances for Argentina to this date
Where would he fit in/would he improve them?
Banega is an experienced midfielder who would offer Arsenal a lot of steel and determination on their journey to return to one of England’s top trophy-winning outfits.
Deployed centrally, Banega is known for his impressive passing ability. The Argentine has an average of 85.3% pass success rate in La Liga this season having played 16 matches for Sevilla, which could improve since last season he achieved a pass success rate of 86.8%.
His intelligence can often be seen off the ball, with his positioning and vision a key element to his game.
Although not a regular goalscorer – he currently has three goals in La Liga this campaign, matching last season’s total already – Banega’s defensive work is his speciality alongside his passing. He averages 67.7 passes per 90 minutes in La Liga this season. His passing is even more telling in the Europa League, averaging 83.5 passes on the European stage with Sevilla this campaign.
For Sevilla, Banega has played in a variety of systems; 5-3-2, 4-2-3-1 are just two formations that midfielder has experience with and are two identities that Arsenal have taken on since the arrival of Emery in the summer.
In 2016, Banega’s former Internazionale coach Roberto Mancini said of him: “Banega is a midfielder who likes to mix it up a lot. He can start by playing off the front man and drop deep to pick up the ball. He plays for Argentina, he’s got quality and charisma and I’m sure he’ll be very useful to us.”
Another thing to note is that Banega has played more than 25 games for his respective clubs each season since 2011, meaning if he were to move to Arsenal they would get a fit and able player who should slot into the high-intensity style that personifies the Premier League.
Winners & losers if he does join Arsenal
Of course, the arrival of a big-name player normally has mixed reactions on specific members of a squad.
If Banega was able to join the Gunners this January, you feel that Arsenal fans would be delighted to have such an experienced pro among their ranks who has won trophies, played in big matches but more importantly, would provide extra cover across an occasional faulty Arsenal defence.
Unai Emery will be the main winner here having worked previously with the 30-year-0ld and found great success in the Europa League, a competition Arsenal will be aiming to succeed in this season.
Also, surely Arsenal goalkeeper Leno and his defence would only benefit from the extra bite and tracking that Banega would provide Emery’s side, with their back-line coming into question in recent weeks.
Likewise, Torreria’s position in the side seems to be secure and having a fellow South American playing alongside him would not only take the tackling pressures off Torreira but also allow him to venture a little further forward to fleetingly support the Arsenal attack.
The arrival of Banega would seal the apparent impending departure of Welsh playmaker Aaron Ramsey, with his high-profile exit publically confirmed by both the club and the player himself.
With limited spaces available in the middle of Arsenal’s midfield, how Emery will accommodate Banega, Torreria, Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka would be interesting to see but would certainly provide the Gunners with a greater squad depth heading into the vital months of the season.
The post Ever Banega to Arsenal transfer report: What’s the story? appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka NewsSquawka News http://bit.ly/2EVfZwe
No comments:
Post a Comment