Ahead of the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign, Arsenal fans have a cautious sense of optimism ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s team has finished as runner-ups in each of the past three years.
The hierarchy supported him in the transfer window and resolved the issue’s position by landing Viktor Gyoker from Sporting CP after scoring 54 goals in recent seasons.
Other regions on the pitch are also being invested, with Martin Zubimendi and Christian Mosquera reaching the Emirates, strengthening their midfield and defense sectors, respectively.
But despite the heavy spending over the past few weeks, another player has been on the radar consistently – in the form of Crystal Palace Star Ebekieze.
The latest in Arsenal’s hunting Eze
Through the summer window, the 27-year-old offensive midfielder has been heavily mentioned his move to Arsenal, and has since improved his options to Arteta’s freedom.
However, they face tough competition from North London rival Tottenham Hotspur.
Thomas Frank’s side is in talks with English International, with both sides looking to capitalize on the £60 million valuation that Eagles boss Oliver Glasner put in his head.
Recently, it has been reported that gunners will be able to leave negotiations in the coming days, and he sees his asking price as out of range given the money currently being spent this summer.
He is not the only midfield star in vision between the current and September 1 deadline.
I’m looking for another midfielder for Arsenal this summer
Before the summer window, Arsenal was one of the various Premier League aspects linked to the transition to PSG youth Warren Zaire Emery ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
However, it was not surprising to the Frenchman, given the asking price on the Ligue 1 side, which is expected to have a price tag of £100 million.
According to the Spanish outlet, he is not the only European star to appear on the Gunners radar recently.
Their report says Arteta’s side is closely monitoring the Dutch international move, which has only been left with one year in its current contract with the Laliga Giants.
He also said that there are no new deals on the horizon yet, so the 28-year-old is open to exploring the movement of the window, potentially raising the £35 million ask price.
Why Arsenal’s latest target is greater talent than Eze
It would be a huge blow to Arsenal’s fan base, especially given the large rumours that linked him to his move to the club over the last few months.
If the players themselves move to the Spurs, their misery will undoubtedly get worse.
However, it is important that gunners do not pass it too much this summer and not pay excessive transfer fees.
DeJong’s trading is able to offer just that and has years of experience at the top level of European football. It’s essential when a club reaches the next level.
The pair operates in slightly different positions, but the 28-year-old has proven he is a major talent in the box-to-box area in recent years in Spain.
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His underlying statistics for the 2024/25 campaign highlight the quality he adds to the first team’s team, allowing him to make big statements about success on both ends of the pitch.
According to Fbref, De Jong was labelled “World Class” by Simone Inzaghi and ranked in the 99th percentile with completed passes (94%) and progressive passes (9.5).
Barcelona’s Frenkie DeJohn Statistics (2024/25) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (per 90) | totalling |
The game has been played | 26 |
Goals and Assistance | 4 |
Accuracy | 94% |
Progressive Pass | 9.5 |
Shooting with target accuracy | 60% |
Move to the last third | 11.1 |
I’ll bring it to the last third | 3.1 |
The tackle won | 1.5 |
Intercept has been performed | 2.4 |
Statistics via FBREF | |
Such numbers allow him to choose something like Gyoker within the last third, allowing the Swedes to have a major impact during his maiden campaign in north London.
Despite specializing in deeper positions than Eze, he still shows the threat he has in front of goal, achieving 60% shots at target rate.
The former Ajax star was also impressed, earning 1.5 tackles per 90 and 2.4 interceptions.
Another offensive-oriented player is still high on the club’s list of candidates, but the deal with DeJong is that the hierarchy cannot pass the transfer deadline from now on.
If he could replicate such talent in the UK, he would be a bargain transfer and something the club could still help in their quest to await the best title of two years.
