Arsenal Opinion: Joan Jordan would be an ideal replacement for Ramsey
According to the Sun, Arsenal manager Unai Emery has set his sights on Eibar midfielder Joan Jordan as a cheap and tailor-made replacement for Aaron Ramsey.
The Welshman is out of contract at the end of the season and is expected to link up with Juventus in the summer. (h/t Sun)
Jordan is tied to the La Liga club until 2020 and Arsenal are weighing up a move for the 24-year-old, who has a release clause of just £12.8 million in his contract. Eibar are keen to cash in on him in the summer to avoid losing him on a pre-contract agreement in January next year.
The Spaniard rose through the youth ranks at RCD Espanyol and spent time on loan at Real Valladolid before completing a move to Eibar at the start of last season.
Jordan starred in the midfield to help Eibar secure a 9th place finish in the La Liga last time around and he has continued his fine run of form this term as well, accumulating 3 goals and 4 assists from 27 appearances in the league.
Eibar are known for their high-pressing style in Spain and given that Jordan has thrived in such a system, he might be ready for a glamorous switch to the Premier League with Arsenal in the summer.
Unai Emery is aiming for a major squad overhaul, despite reports claiming that the manager is only going to have £40 million at his disposal in the summer. Undoubtedly, Jordan, with his low release clause certainly fits the bill at the Emirates.
The Gunners have the likes of Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi as options in central midfield, all of whom have enjoyed a consistent run in the first team this season.
Mohamed Elneny has been linked with a move to Besiktas in the summer while Emery is also keen to offload big-earners like Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to reduce wage bills and invest the funds elsewhere. (h/t Sun)
Hence, it is quite evident that a major squad overhaul is in the air and someone like Joan Jordan can fit perfectly into Emery’s philosophy.
Essentially a central midfielder, Jordan can also play in a more advanced attacking role, which allows him to use his creativity and vision to good effect.
A strong, tenacious and hardworking midfielder blessed with high levels of stamina, Jordan contributes a lot with his work-rate and is adept at pressing the opposition off the ball.
He likes to move the ball around quickly and has a good range of passing which allows him to dictate the tempo and switch the play, whilst his eye for playing key passes makes him a potent threat in the attacking third.
Jordan has plenty of flair and trickery on the ball and likes to link up with his teammates in the midfield, often drifting wide to create chances with his accurate crossing from the wide areas.
Much like Ramsey, Jordan has a penchant for scoring crucial goals, and although he is not particularly good defensively, the Spaniard is more than capable of tracking back to help out his defenders cut out the attacks.
Jordan boasts of a pass accuracy percentage of 82.7 in the La Liga, including 1.5 aerial duels, 1.6 tackles, 1.7 shots, 1.9 key passes, 1.2 dribbles, 2 crosses and 4.3 successful long balla per game, figures which speak volumes of his well-rounded attributes as a central midfielder.
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Matteo Guendouzi has proven himself to be a massive bargain for the Gunners since his move from French second tier club FC Lorient last summer and the acquisition of Joan Jordan can turn out to be another potential masterstroke from Unai Emery.
