Why signing Yusuf Yazici would be wise a decision by Arsenal
Lille midfielder Yusuf Yazici has re-emerged as a transfer target for Arsenal after a string of impressive displays, as per the Mirror. Arsenal previously showed interest in him as a teenager.
In an interview with Turkish outlet Demiroren News Agency (h/t Mirror), Yusuf Yazici’s agent has claimed that he believes Lille would sell his client to a ‘big club’ once he nears his potential and that the move away from Ligue 1 may not be too far away.
Profile
Yusuf Yazici was born in Turkey in January 1997. The Turk started his youth career at hometown club Trabzonspor, where he was promoted to the senior squad in 2015. The midfielder made 100 appearances, scoring 22 goals and assisting 21 times in his time at the club.
His form for Trabzonspor made Ligue 1 club Lille buy him in the summer of 2019 for a £16m fee. The 23-year-old has since made 39 appearances for the French club.
Yazici will provide the service that the Arsenal attack needs
Arsenal have been terrible in front of goal this season. The Gunners have managed just 10 goals in 10 league games. Prior to their defeat to Wolves on Sunday, they had gone 5 Premier League games without scoring from open play. Star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has just 2 goals in the league so far, with one of them coming from the penalty spot.
Arsenal’s frontline isn’t all to blame for this. Their midfielders Granit Xhaka, Dani Ceballos, and Mohamed Elneny have had a combined assist tally of 1 in all competitions this season. However, Xhaka and Elneny’s role isn’t to create.
The lack of a proper creative midfielder, who can carve out openings for the attackers has been a major drawback for Arsenal. Hence, Yazici becomes the perfect solution to this problem. The midfielder has even drawn early comparisons to Arsenal outcast Mesut Ozil.
Having scored 2 hat-tricks in 3 Europa League games already this term, the Turk has proven that he can create as well as score from the midfielder. His heatmap in Turkey proves that he can be used in a variety of positions in midfield and can also help off the ball if needed.
Much of Arsenal’s creative burden has been with the wide-men this season, but having a midfielder with the creativity and vision of Yazici will surely give a different dynamic to their play. The forwards would also not mind more service to them in the box, which Yazici would be capable of providing.
Verdict
At just 23 years old, Yazici is only just reaching his prime years. He has ample experience in the top flight and a proven pedigree on the big stage, and thus a move for the young Turk would make sense for Arteta.
His agent’s comments would also provide a boost to his potential suitors. However, a contract that expires in 2024 means that Lille would assume the upper hand in any negotiations. But then again, in this day and age, Arsenal would know that quality comes at a price.
