While it’s always tricky to determine who has ‘won’ the transfer window, Arsenal certainly have a strong shout this year.
New Sporting Director Andrea Berta has been transformational since his arrival, overseeing eight additions to Mikel Arteta’s squad over the last few months.
Moreover, while a number of those players have been signed to bolster the squad, others could be real game-changers for the starting lineup, like Eberechi Eze.
The Englishman is an unbelievably exciting signing for the Premier League hopefuls, although they did sell their own version of him not too long ago.
Eze's return to Arsenal
Signing a player of Eze’s quality is hugely exciting and would have been enough to delight the Arsenal fanbase regardless of the nature of the deal.
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However, the fact that it looked like the club had cooled their interest in him weeks prior, only to suddenly reenter the conversation in the 11th hour and steal (rescue) him from Tottenham Hotspur, was enough of a story to send the fans into delirium.
It’s easy to see why Arteta was reportedly so keen to bring the 27-year-old to the Emirates this summer as well, as not only is he a creative force, but he also knows exactly where the goal is.
Despite playing for a mid-table side last season, the Greenwich-born “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, was an output machine, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling 3303 minutes.
In other words, the versatile game-changer, who can play in the middle of the park or out wide, averaged a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes – just imagine what he’ll do with better players around him.
Moreover, it’s not just the hijacking of his move to Spurs or the quality he’ll add to the side that makes this transfer so special; there is the human side, which is the fact that the club released him as a 13-year-old and has finally made his way back.
In short, Eze’s move to Arsenal is one of the best of the summer, even though the club sold someone who could’ve been described as their version of the Englishman not too long ago.
Arsenal's former Eze
It would be fair to say that fans were left quite disappointed by Edu Gaspar’s final summer transfer window at Arsenal, as he only oversaw five signings, two of which were the loan deals for Raheem Sterling and Neto.
However, while he failed on the incoming front, he did do reasonably well regarding outgoings, as he saw Eddie Nketiah move to Crystal Palace for £30m, Aaron Ramsdale join Southampton for up to £25m, and Emile Smith Rowe move to Fulham for up to £34m.
The latter was undoubtedly the one most fans were sad to see go, as even though the money was good for someone who had fallen out of Arteta’s plans, there was a belief he could be something special.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the former fan favourite is the player who could have been described as the Gunners’ own Eze.
The first reason stems from the positions he’d play under Arteta.
Position
Games
Goals
Assists
Attacking Midfield
102
19
15
Left Midfield
45
15
3
Central Midfield
41
8
5
Right Midfield
12
4
1
Left Winger
3
0
0
Centre-Forward
2
0
0
Right Winger
1
0
0
While he now almost exclusively plays as an attacking midfielder for the Cottagers, he would spend plenty of time in other areas of the pitch at the Emirates.
For example, across his time with the Gunners, the “phenomenal” talent, as dubbed by one analyst, made 54 appearances in attacking midfield, 25 in left-midfield, ten in central midfield, three at left-wing, three in right-midfield, and he even played up top on two occasions.
It wasn’t just where he played that made him similar to the former Palace man, though, but how he played, and still does to an extent.
Even though he wore the number ten in North London – another similarity to the club’s new star – the Croydon-born gem was far more of a ball-carrier than someone who’d play pinpoint passes like traditional tens. In the words of his manager while on loan at Huddersfield, Danny Cowley, he was “like Dennis Bergkamp but with pace.”
For example, in the 20/21 season, his best at Arsenal, the 25-year-old ranked in the top 9% of Premier League midfielders for progressive carries and the top 14% for carries into the penalty area per 90, per FBref.
Finally, in addition to the similarities in their game, both players have featured for the national team and progressed through the Gunners’ legendary Hale End academy.
Ultimately, while they have finally signed the real thing, for some time, Smith Rowe was Arsenal’s own Eze.
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