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Highly Versatile £16.2m Rated PL Winger on Arsenal Radar; Could Fit in Seamlessly Under Arteta

Michael Olise, Arsenal

Reports say Crystal Palace’s young sensation Michael Olise is the latest player to join the wishlist of Arsenal. The summer window is still almost three months away but the Gunners have already been linked with several players. The board wants to secure signings without having to rely on last-minute solutions. A busy summer overhaul surely awaits the fans.

Michael Olise, Arsenal
Image obtained via Sportsmole.co.uk)

Bolstering The Right-Wing Position

Ever since the beginning of the winter transfer window, Arsenal have been looking for different options in midfield and attack. But, the club failed to bolster Mikel Arteta’s squad in January. Now, Edu and the board are already working overtime to confirm the arrival of new players at the Emirates.

The Spanish manager himself confirmed the arrival of a striker for the next season. The other departments that remain to be addressed are the midfield and the right-wing. The North London side need an experienced head in the middle, while Nicolas Pepe continues to be inconsistent on the right.

According to Sun Sport, (via FootballTransfers), Arsenal want to bring in Michael Olise from fellow Londoners Crystal Palace. The report states that Arteta has given his approval to the arrival of the English-born forward for the right-wing position.

However, the Gunners are not the only club after his signature. The report added that London rivals Chelsea are also amongst the clubs keeping a tab on the 20-year-old. Arsenal certainly wish to beat the Blues for the Crystal Palace youngster’s signature. All these rumours and Olise has not even completed a full single season in the English top-flight yet. He signed with the Eagles just last summer.

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Olise’s Rise To Prominence

Michael Olise arrived at Selhurst Park from Reading for a reported fee of £8m. He had shown his mettle in the Championship, with 19 goal contributions in 37 starts in the league. He was among the first signings under new manager Patrick Vieira. And the young sensation has proven why so.

After an initial injury in the season, he has established himself in the Crystal Palace eleven, making impacts in numerous substitute roles. He has two goals and five assists in 21 Premier League appearances, with 9 starts under his belt. However, these numbers do not show the entire picture.

Olise’s underlying statistics show he has been a key player for the Eagles this season. He has played his part in helping Vieira establish a more attacking style of football. Stats say the Frenchman is one of the most creative players under the age of 23 in Europe.

His “expected goals assisted per 90 minutes” figure is 0.28. This is much higher when compared to his teammates Wilfried Zaha (0.18) and Eberechi Eze (0.05). Eze obviously just returned from an injury.

The reason Olise has such a high “expected goals assisted per 90 minutes” output is because of the high number of progressive passes he attempts as compared to the other players. Apart from the right-wing, the youngster can also play as an attacking midfielder as well as a number eight, thus making him a versatile player.

Why Olise?

The Gunners wish to bet on young stars to add to its squad of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard. With the mass exodus of the squad in January, Michael Olise could fit right into Arteta’s plan at Arsenal for the present and future. And if his recent performances are anything to go by, Edu should certainly bring the talented kid to the Emirates.

Arsenal have been looking out for right-wingers since the summer window as Arteta has had doubts over Pepe and his future is now uncertain. With the North London club almost confirmed to play in Europe next season, Olise’s versatility could also help in squad rotation given that the squad is currently very thin.

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The problem is it would not be easy in terms of finance to make Palace sell the young French player. Arsenal, however, could take advantage of the history of Vieira with the Gunners and the relationship shared by both parties. Michael Olise could prove perfect for Arsenal.

Even though the Frenchman is not even a year old in the Premier League, the glimpses of performance shown by him prove his ability to become the best in his position.

Follow AD for the latest Arsenal transfer updates.

Abir Chaudhuri
A football fan who loves to write about the game.

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