Why Arsenal need to sign Carlos Soler in January
According to ElDesmarque (h/t Daily Star), Arsenal have received a boost in their efforts to sign Carlos Soler from Valencia. It is being said that the Spanish side could be open to a sale for their star man due to their financial situation. The Gunners have been after Soler for a while now, with Mikel Arteta considering him as a target.
Profile
Carlos Soler joined Valencia’s youth system back in 2005 and made quick progress through the ranks before making his debut for the club’s reserve side during the 2014-15 season. A year later, he was promoted to the first-team and made his La Liga debut against Real Sociedad back in December 2016.
The Spaniard has blossomed into one of the mainstays of Valencia’s midfield over the past few seasons, accumulating 15 goals and 18 assists in 156 appearances across all competitions. Soler played a key role as Los Che won the 2018-19 Copa del Rey title and also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League.
Having scored only twice in the La Liga last season, Soler has made a stunning start to the ongoing campaign at the Mestalla. The 23-year-old equalised in injury time to earn his team a 2-2 draw against Getafe before netting a hat-trick in Valencia’s shock 4-1 rout of Real Madrid, all three goals came from penalties.
Soler represented Spain at U-19 and U-21 levels earlier in his career but remains uncapped at the senior international level.
Soler could be the creative boost that Arsenal need
Mikel Arteta seems to have found a temporary fix for the problems plaguing Arsenal. It is only in the recent games that Arsenal have started to find some goals as well as points. Nonetheless, longstanding creative issues still remain.
With Mesut Ozil still in limbo about his future at the club, Arsenal don’t have any creative midfielder other than Emile Smith-Rowe to call upon. The likes of Elneny, Partey and Xhaka all come with similar skill sets but none possesses outright playmaking abilities. To that end, reigniting interest in Carlos Soler could well solve a lot of problems for Arteta.
Soler already boasts of a lot of experience for a player aged just 23, having made over 150 career appearances for Valencia, including 11 in the group stages of the Champions League. The Spaniard also has a good track record of goals and assists, which clearly lies testament to his pedigree in the final third.
Apart from that, Soler is someone who offers a lot with his versatility to play in multiple positions across the midfield. Essentially a central midfielder by trade, the Spaniard has been utilised in a variety of midfield roles over the course of his career in the La Liga. Such a trait would hand a significant boost to Arteta’s squad dynamics.
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Carlos Soler has been in red-hot form for Valencia in the La Liga this season. Although all of his 4 goals so far have come from the penalty spot, it would be hard to deny that the Spaniard has clearly taken his game to a new level in the ongoing campaign.
Soler already has a lot of experience at the highest level and still has his best years ahead of him at 23. That said, it is an absolute no-brainer for Arsenal to take advantage of Valencia’s situation and sign a talented youngster like Soler.
