Arsenal return to action against Fulham this weekend.placeholder image
Arsenal return to action against Fulham this weekend. | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal have been linked with a move for Silas Andersen but would a cross-border transfer be better value for money?
Arsenal’s recruitment almost went under the radar in the summer with Liverpool being the team who got all the plaudits and made all the headlines.
The Gunners maybe didn’t break transfer records, but what they did do was shop smart and strengthen areas of the squad that needed more depth. The didn’t spend over £200m on two strikers when they only play one or leave signing key targets until the last day of the transfer window. Hacken midfielder Silas Andersen is reported to be a target for Mikel Arteta but they could land another young defensive midfielder with international experience without breaking the bank.
Who Arsenal should target instead of Silas Andersen
In terms of how Arsenal play, having a no.6 who protects the defence and links the midfield to the main playmakers is key and the Belgian national team has a surprise package given that he is keeping players out of the side who went for transfer fees of over £50m. Nicolas Raskin might be at the heart of a struggling Rangers side, but at international level he has become one of the first names on the team sheet under Rudi Garcia: "I have Youri Tielemans, I have Amadou Onana and who do I have behind?
“Well of course when you see Raskin's match in the return leg against Ukraine well you tell yourself that we've won a midfielder for the future. Because Nico has shown the he's able to be aggressive, defensive, win duels, he's able to propose himself because he likes to come search the balls, he played almost 100 balls during the game with more than 90% pass accuracy, while playing forward, because it's easy to have 90% pass accuracy when you only play backwards.
“Now Romeo Lavia. I'm being told from everywhere that he has talent. For now he's injured a lot. He finally played two matches with Chelsea. I almost started getting annoyed telling my medical staff. If Chelsea isn't able to make him fit we'd have to make him come to us to see what's the problem with a boy so young that's often injured. I hope his injuries are past him and that i'll finally be able to judge him to see if he has a future."
What type of midfielder is Raskin?
Raskin began his career at Standard Liege before signing for Rangers in the winter transfer window of 2023. Things started promising for the then Belgium Under-21 captain before injury plagued his development and a loss of form saw him dropped from the starting XI. Last season though, he was back with a bang and forced his way in the senior team at national level alongside Kevin de Bruyne.
As Garcia says, Raskin is combative and keeps things simple, he isn’t the sort of defensive midfielder who will control the tempo of a game, but he is the type who will do the running and ball winning for those that can. The 24-year old would be perfect alongside Declan Rice and he has long dreamed of playing in the Premier League. With Lavia costing Chelsea £53m, it gives an indication of how good Raskin really is.
His performances in the Europa League last season and for Belgium suggest that he is more than capable of making the step up and he wouldn’t cost the sort of fee that would normally be commanded by a guaranteed starter. With 18-months left on his contract, a seven-figure bid could be enough and someone is going to get a bargain.
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