Why Arsenal should sign Championship star Said Benrahma next summer
According to Algerian publication Le Buteur, Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in signing Brentford star Said Benrahma in the summer.
Benrahma, who was snapped by the Bees for £2.5 million from OGC Nice last summer, has proven himself as the club’s latest bargain signing, accumulating an impressive 7 goals and 11 assists in the Championship so far. The 23-year-old Algerian netted his first career hat-trick in Brentford’s 5-1 victory over Hull City, with the winger impressing the Premier League giants with his technical abilities.
A youth product of French club Nice, Benrahma struggled to break into the first-team and spent time on loan at Angers and Ligue 2 clubs Ajaccio and Chateauroux, catching the eye with 10 goals and 5 assists at the latter last season. His wonderful form in Ligue 2 earned him a move to Brentford and the Algerian might be destined for bigger things, with the Premier League giants keeping close tabs on his progress.
Known for his pace, flair, dribbling, vision and eye for goal, Benrahma has proven his worth as a technically-gifted creative ace at Griffin Park this season. He has been used as a winger and a wide forward on either side due to his ability to cut inside and rip the opposition apart with his pace, acceleration, dribbling and quick footwork. Blessed with plenty of drive and determination to go along with his skill sets, the Algerian backs himself to take on the defenders and beat them with his pace and quality on the ball. As a matter of fact, he has completed 66 out of his attempted 127 dribbles in the Championship this term.
However, he has a lot more to his game than just raw pace and skills, with his end product making him stand head and shoulders above many players in the same mould. Benrahma has shown his tactical intelligence and passing abilities by linking up effectively with his teammates in and around the penalty area, whilst his immaculate crossing from the flanks has also seen him create plenty of opportunities. The Algerian likes to drift to the central areas at times to receive the ball and he is never afraid to have a crack on goal from distance.
Statistics show that Benrahma has hit the target on 26 occasions from 79 attempts, which is definitely not bad for a winger. Furthermore, he averages 2.3 key passes, 2.3 dribbles, 1.4 crosses and 2.7 shots per game in the Championship this term, whilst a pass accuracy rate of 78.2 is also quite impressive for a player suited to a direct style of play.
To put things into perspective, he would be an ideal signing for Unai Emery’s Arsenal, with the Gunners currently short of options in the wide areas. The departure of Danny Welbeck next summer upon the expiry of his contract is likely to deplete Arsenal’s attacking options even further and the club’s links with Said Benrahma should come as a piece of welcome news to the fans.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has often being used on the left by Unai Emery to cover for the lack of wide options while Nigerian international Alex Iwobi has had a decent campaign so far. However, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has blown hot and cold and hasn’t really justified his stature as a world-class attacker. Youngsters like Joe Willock and Ainsley Maitland-Niles have shown plenty of promise but someone like Benrahma can certainly increase competition for places in the wide areas and his versatility to play on either side can also be an asset to Arsenal.
Read More:- Go for it Emery – Arsenal should leave no stone unturned in their £25million summer plot to sign this 21-year-old left-back
That said, the Gunners should make a move for the Championship star next summer in a bid to bolster their wide options.
