Arsenal Plotting a Move for LOSC Lille Winger Edon Zhegrova

Arsenal are hot on their heels once again as they find themselves plotting a move to pursue the 23-year-old Lille winger, Edon Zhegrova. As per several sources such as the Daily Mail, the Gunners are pushing forth to sign the Kosovo international for a bid worth £11 million.

Edon Zhegrova just signed a four-year contract with Ligue 1 club Lille this January. The reported fee was said to be around €7 million. The 23-year-old has only made nine appearances so far, scoring twice for the club (stats via Transfermarkt). But despite that, it seems that Mikel Arteta and co. will still aim to sign the young midfielder.

Being hailed as the ‘Kosovan Messi,’ Zhegrova first rose through the ranks of Genk, a Belgian-based football club. He then made a move to Basel – a Swiss Super League side – originally on loan in 2019, before making the move permanent a year later.

Often being positioned on the right flank of the field, the Lille winger is well-known for his swift moves and dribbling ability. Therefore, moving to the Emirates Stadium this summer would be sensible. Edon Zhegrova could well be that missing piece of the puzzle who can complete the midfield void at Arsenal.

How Does Edon Zhegrova Fit Into Arteta’s Plan?

During last year’s summer transfer window, Arsenal edged over other clubs in the Premier League for having spent hefty coins. The club went on a spending spree, with the bill skyrocketing to almost £140 million as per the reports.

On the other hand, like most clubs, Lille too were caught up in the turmoil of the financial crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, it would be all square for them to raise funds, by selling some of their players. And Zhegrova could be the one, given he seems like a potential suitor for the Gunners who would fit well into the bargain.

Edon Zhegrova — Image obtained via Instagram/@losclive

Moreover, Mikel Arteta’s side have suffered three back-to-back embarrassing defeats in the Premier League lately. According to the Mirror, the Arsenal boss talked about his team suffering a huge blow, as they find themselves nestled outside the top-four in the table at the moment.

In his post-match press conference after the Brighton defeat, he labelled his men being “really down”, who were not able to find the back of the net in those 90 minutes. He expressed his concern over his team saying:

“Because you don’t have enough quality to be there, because we have to win football matches and we have to score more goals, and that’s a problem we have at the moment.”

Thus, this displays Arteta’s necessity to sign the 23-year-old to reinforce the squad. All in all, Arsenal’s underwhelming performance will force them to sign the midfielder. Given the club still see themselves with a chance to play in the Champions League next season, Edon Zhegrova could be a fruitful singing for Arsenal to increase their squad depth.

Edon Zhegrova As A Replacement For Nicolas Pepe?

If we take a look at the other side of the coin, it is said that Arsenal are eyeing Edon Zhegrova as a low-cost replacement for Nicolas Pepe. Unlike last year, the Gunners won’t be planning to spend heavily this summer on right-wingers. Thus, a low-cost alternative should work just fine for them at the moment. This will let them divert their funds to areas that need urgent reinforcement.

Arsenal have also been listening to various offers set on the table for Pepe, given the 26-year-old forward has had a less enjoyable season at the club. He also revealed the reasons for his lacklustre performance at the club for the last 2 seasons.

The Ivory Coast international joined Arsenal for a club-record fee of £72 million. However, he has failed to make an ample impact on the field. So far, he has made 109 appearances for the Gunners and scored just 27 goals in all competitions (stats via Transfermarkt). Getting Pepe off the books will help Arsenal in freeing up wages for summer acquisitions.

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