Arsenal have been blessed with some truly exceptional players over the last ten to 15 years.
Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and William Saliba are just some of the names from the current squad that could have made it in some of the club's most iconic Premier League winning sides.
Then, going back a little further, we get to some genuine game-changers like Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez, who may not have left on the best of terms, but were unquestionably world-class for much of their time in N5.
Alexis-Sanchez-Arsenal
However, one player who might not always get the respect he deserves from other fanbases, but is rightly adored as something of a cult hero by the Emirates faithful, is Santi Cazorla.
The Spanish magician joined the club for under £15m in the summer of 2012 and went on to score 29 goals and provide 44 assists in 180 games before leaving in 2018.
The 40-year-old midfielder is still an incredibly popular man in the red side of North London, and now it looks like the club are trying to sign someone who could be Mikel Arteta's version of Cazorla.
Arsenal target their new Cazorla
This summer is shaping up to be something really quite special for Arsenal, as the board appear intent on backing the manager to the best of their ability.
For example, the signings of Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, and Kepa Arrizabalaga have already been announced, while Noni Madueke has reportedly passed his medical, and Christian Mosquera is set for his.
Moreover, the North Londoners have reportedly agreed a deal for goalscoring extraordinaire Viktor Gyokeres, which will see them pay Sporting CP an initial fee of just £55m.
Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring their first goal
Yet, the Premier League runners-up are not done there, as they have now turned their attention to someone who could be their new Cazorla: Eberechi Eze.
Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are still interested in the Crystal Palace star, and are in talks with his camp over a move.
Moreover, another report from the Mail Online has claimed that the England international is now the Gunners' new top target.
It won't be a cheap deal to get done, though, as Romano reaffirms that the Eagles are holding out for his full release clause, which stands at £68m.
Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze celebrates with the trophy after winning the FA Cup
Even though that is a lot of money to spend on one player, Eze would be worth it, especially as he could be Arteta's own Cazorla.
Why Eze could be Arsenal's new Cazorla
Okay, so it should be said that we don't think Eze is exactly like Cazorla, nor will he be just like him at Arsenal, but there are some undeniable similarities between the pair, similarities that would only grow should this transfer happen.
eberechi eze-crystal-palace-premier-league
The first of which is where the pair play on the pitch, as, like the Spanish maestro, the Palace ace is more than capable of playing on the left, having done so on many occasions in the past, but has found his best position to be in attacking midfield.
Moreover, like the former Gunners star, the English "superstar," as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is not just someone who passively recycles the ball in the middle of the park, or passes it off to a more dynamic teammate, he's someone who can explode into life at the drop of a hat and make things happen himself.
Eze recent form
Season
Appearances
Minutes
Goals
Assists
Goal Involvements per Match
Minutes per Goal Involvement
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For example, in just 43 appearances last season, totalling 3303 minutes, the game-changing dynamo scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists, which comes out as a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.
He was almost as dangerous in the season prior, when, in 36 games, totalling 2285 minutes, he scored 11 goals and provided eight assists, which came out to a goal involvement every 1.89 games, or one every 134.41 minutes.
Furthermore, he proved he's capable of standing up in the big games this season, scoring in the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the FA Cup, just as Cazorla helped the Gunners' comeback against Hull City in the 2014 FA Cup final with that sensational free-kick.
Finally, while this is a little harder to quantify in numbers, the £100k-per-week star is also someone fans simply love watching, with Micah Richards accurately describing him as a "magician" with the ball at his feet - and if you watched the former Malaga ace, you'd have said the same about him.
Ultimately, it might be an expensive deal to get over the line, but Arsenal should do all they can to sign Eze this summer, as not only would he help improve the team, but he could also become the club's modern Cazorla, getting the fans on their feet every week.
viktor-gyokeres-sporting-primeira-liga Related
[As exciting as Gyokeres: £80m "superstar" now open to signing for Arsenal](https://www.footballfancast.com/as-exciting-as-gyokeres-rodrygo-open-to-arsenal-move-after-talks/ "As exciting as Gyokeres: £80m "superstar" now open to signing for Arsenal")
The international monster would be a game-changing signing for Arsenal.