Mikel Arteta looks as though he is planning ahead for next season as Arsenal have shown interest in Bayern Munich youngster Ryan Gravenberch.
What's the latest on Ryan Gravenberch to Arsenal?
According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, the Gunners are keeping an eye on his scenario at Munich with a view to making a move during the summer transfer window.
He said via Twitter: “Arsenal is monitoring him and his situation at Bayern! But no negotiations yet. Lot of competition with Ødegaard, Xhaka, Partey, Jorginho … but nevertheless: He could get more playing time there. Now all depends on Tuchel.”
He only joined the Bundesliga side last summer for a fee of €18.5m (£16m) and if Arsenal could land him for a similar price, it would be a wonderful bargain.
Could Ryan Gravenberch join Arsenal?
With Thomas Tuchel recently taking over at the club, much will depend on whether he wants him in his squad ahead of next season and Arteta will certainly be keeping an eye on this over the coming weeks.
The north Londoners have enjoyed mixed success recruiting from the Bundesliga in the past, notably bringing in the likes of Sokratis and Sead Kolasinac, however by luring the Dutchman to the club, they could repeat their Granit Xhaka masterclass.
The Switzerland international signed from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2016 and although it took him a while to step up to the standard required, he has been magnificent under Arteta, especially this season.
The 30-year-old has registered ten goal contributions – five goals and five assists – so far in the league, while making 1.3 key passes and creating five big chances, vastly improving his attacking output.
Gravenberch occupies the same position as Xhaka and although his debut season in Germany hasn’t exactly gone to plan, his final campaign for Ajax was excellent and gave the continent a glimpse of his incredible talent.
The 20-year-old played 30 matches in the Eredivisie as Ajax won another league title, and he was instrumental, scoring twice, grabbing five assists and completing 1.1 key passes per game alongside creating six big chances, an indication of his offensive prowess from a central midfield position.
His maturity levels were excellent too, chipping in with the nitty-gritty side of the game by making two tackles per game and winning an impressive 58% of his total duels, so it’s no wonder Bayern came calling for his signature.
Dutch pundit Wim Kieft lauded Gravenberch as the “greatest talent in the Netherlands” and there is no doubt his potential is limitless. Thus, perhaps jumping to a European heavyweight so soon in his career was a slight misjudgment.
Arteta, therefore, could work his magic on a young player again to help the 6 foot 3 maestro live up to his immense potential. Should he do so, then the 20-year-old Dutchman could be the heir to Xhaka in the engine room.