Coach Mikel Arteta did not speak out, but anyone who followed Arsenal last season understood: The left wing is one of the positions that makes him the most headache. Gunners are interested in Rodrygo, but maybe Eberechi Eze is the perfect solution for them.
Eze – both classy and … Premier League
Recently, people have seen Arsenal start to keep their eyes on Rodrygo of Real Madrid. But if you need a practical advice, the answer is not in the Bernabeu but at Selhurst Park. Eberechi Eze, the soul of Crystal Palace, is the ideal solution for the Gunners corridor – in all aspects from professional to financial and tactical.
The first thing to be clear: Eze is not a new finding. He has more than 100 matches in the Premier League, is Palace's pillar for three consecutive seasons, and always in the top of the ball players, creating the best opportunity and finishing the tournament. Last season, Eze scored 8 goals and had 8 assists in the Premier League.
Compared to Rodrygo, Eze has no Champions League, no reputation from Madrid, but there is something that Arteta really needs: familiarity to the Premier League. The Spanish coach does not want to waste time to “raise” a player from La Liga, who will take a few months – even the season – to get used to the space, speed and pressure of the harshest tournament on the planet.
Eze is different. He has “eaten, sleep, breathe” with the Premier League for many years. He understood Brighton or Newcastle's pouring defense, West Ham Pressing, and the danger of a shot from the Tarkowski center -backs. With Eze, Arsenal does not buy potential – they buy effectively immediately.
What Arteta needs, then eze have
Not many players in the UK can combine three factors: personal techniques, tactical discipline and defensive will. But Eze is enough. In the preferred 4-3-3 or 3-2-4-1 diagram of Arteta, Eze can completely kick the left as a winger cut inside, or play as a midfielder attacking boundaries-the role that Martin Odegaard or the right.
Mechanical strength, the ability to ball ball with both legs and tactical vision helps Eze become a player who is difficult to catch cards. Most importantly, he took the time to support the defense, something that attacking players had a “artist” orientation often lazy to do. In Palace, under Oliver Glasner, Eze was even required to constantly pressing – what made him adapt quickly to the intensity that Arteta demanded at Arsenal.
Arteta needs a non -stop working player, not only good at the ball but also not afraid to “roll” when losing the ball. From that perspective, Eze is more philosophical than Rodrygo, who is familiar with the protection from Kroos, Modric or Valverde behind at Real Madrid.
Not only is the blank patch
Arsenal wants to win. They do not need to patch, they need to upgrade the squad in a smart and realistic way. In the context of a dense schedule next season – with the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup – Arteta cannot rely on a Martinelli too easy to “disappear” or a erratic Trossard.
Eze is a contract -like contract “bite to invest but worth”. It is expected that Palace will scream at no less than 55–60 million pounds for the British star – a high number but perfectly suitable for the market ground and the quality of domestic players. More importantly, if investing in Eze, Arsenal can rest assured the left wing for at least 4–5 years.
The recruitment of Eze not only solves professional problems but also brings strategic benefits of the depth of the squad, the ability to rotate and flexibly diagram. Having Eze, Arteta can rotate between 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 and even 3-4-2-1 without breaking the structure.
Also do not forget, Eze is English. He did not occupy a foreign player in the European Cup squad – something that coaches in the Premier League were increasingly interested.
In short, if Arsenal is really serious with the championship dream, they have to look at reality: Rodrygo is a beautiful idea, but Eze is the murderous solution. There is no need to dream with European stars, because the answer for the left wing is existing in London, with a brave, technical eze and … very Premier League.