Update On Arsenal And Their Pursuit Of This Barcelona Midfielder: Decent Fit For Arteta? | OneFootball

In a recent report, Fichajes offered an update on Arsenal and their pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer. It has been claimed that the Gunners would have to pay €80m to bring the Dutch playmaker to North London later this year.

De Jong has enjoyed an impressive season at the Nou Camp after putting in a run of influential displays for Barca in the middle of the park. The 27-year-old has found the back of the net twice in 30 appearances for the Catalan outfit during this campaign across all competitions.

The Dutch talent deserves a ton of credit for averaging 2.2 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 1.4 clearances, 1.1 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per game in La Liga. He has even distributed possession relatively well based on his pass completion rate of 93.1% in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).

His current contract at the Catalan club will run out in the summer of 2026. Hence, the Gunners have no choice but to meet Barcelona’s demands if they want to lure de Jong to the Emirates Stadium at the end of this season.

MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 21: Frenkie de Jong of FC Barcelona reacts during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 21, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Is De Jong A Good Fit For Arsenal?

De Jong is a good tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to earn possession back for his team inside his half. He doesn’t mind clearing the danger when required and can make some decent chances for his teammates in the opponent’s half.

The Dutch sensation is an energetic runner with the ball as well. Hence, we can expect him to bring more quality and depth to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s midfield. De Jong has got a wealth of experience at the highest level and would be a decent fit for the North London club‘s needs at the moment.

The Dutch midfield ace could go on to form a solid partnership with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard at the Emirates Stadium next season. Therefore, the Gunners should focus on bringing de Jong on board in the upcoming transfer window.

However, it remains to be seen whether the Barcelona talent can maintain his good form in the Premier League if Arteta manages to land him this year.