Arsenal begin contract talks for £70m star

Arsenal are on the brink of greatness but Mikel Arteta has an insatiable appetite for success and is already preparing for a summer transfer that could cement their status as Europe’s new superpower.

How do we strengthen our top-flight team? Arsenal’s growth, determination and resilience have been impressive, but they also have some tactical shortcomings that need to be covered.

In attack, the Gunners are not as fluent as they once were. Victor Gökeres is a prolific scorer, but he is by no means a perfect player and his attacking support leaves room for improvement.

However, it’s not just the goalscorers. Creatively, Arsenal could step up their game and with that in mind, Arteta and Emirates technical director Andrea Berta are targeting the signing of a new playmaking midfielder.

Arsenal in contract talks with Premier League midfielder

Declan Rice is a great player and Bruno Fernandes is clearly the only threat to his bid for the PFA Premier League Player of the Year award.

But it’s fair to say that players like Martin Odegaard and Martin Zvimendi have punched below their weight throughout various stages of the campaign.

Odegaard is our captain and he showed in last weekend’s narrow win against West Ham United that he has world-class quality. However, Zvimendi is not a key cog in Arteta’s midfield.

According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal could be looking to upgrade West Ham’s Matheus Fernandes, with talks believed to have taken place after the Gunners made the initial inquiry.

The former Sporting CP player is worth £70m and Premier League rivals such as Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United have also been in contact.

Fernandes is thought to prefer a move to Old Trafford over all other options, but is unlikely to heed Arsenal’s concerted efforts to value his technical ability and tactical versatility across midfield.

Why Fernandes could be an upgrade over Zvimendi at Arsenal

Rice can play in any position, but is perhaps at his best in deep positions, where he is dynamic and intelligent on the ball, while boasting the fighting spirit he developed during his time as a center back at West Ham.

Now, Fernandes could become something of a repeat presence, filling the more advanced role that would have been vacated by Zvimendi.

It would be unreasonable to think about the future of the Spanish national team in north London. He has played a big part in England’s climb to the top of the European ladder, but there is no doubt that his level has declined over the past few months.

Hailed as a “superstar” of talent by football writer Joost van der Rey, 21-year-old Fernandes has made significant progress over the past few months and is already comfortable on the ball and has the physical strength to underline his world-class potential.

In fact, this season in the Premier League, the Brazilian prospect has completed 61% of his dribbles and won an average of 5.6 duels per game. He also averages 2.9 tackles per game and boasts the roundness needed to replace a maestro like Zvimendi.

Despite his fluidity in possession, Zvimendi only created one big chance all season and rarely advanced the ball. That’s not a negative per se, but there’s no question that Arsenal have lacked spark in the middle this season, and Fernandes could provide that, and even more.

Fernandes is still young but has already established himself as a standout player for Southampton and the Irons in the Premier League, proving he has the ability to hit the high notes so far despite battling relegation.

His natural aptitude for the ball will mesh perfectly with Rice’s all-action flair. This is an up-and-coming talent that Arteta and Berta should be targeting.