Two games. 180 minutes. That’s all that stands between Arsenal and their first Premier League title since the Invincibles created history.
Mikel Arteta, by hook or in some minds by crook, has dragged the Gunners out of an era defined by fan TV and into one which could be centred around unforgettable silverware.
And the Gunners aren’t done there. They’re keen to grab hold of the English crown until anyone dares to pry their hands away, and that’s exactly why they’re in for a big summer.
Arsenal line up move for £80m Premier League star
The transfer window is Andrea Berta’s oyster this summer. The Arsenal chief has the chance to take his pick if the Gunners have a golden crown to flex in negotiations. And the first name on the agenda may well be Julian Alvarez.
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The Gunners are set for a serious battle this summer.
The Atletico Madrid star is likely to cost a record fee for those in North London, but he’d be worth every penny. Having already enjoyed Premier League success with Manchester City too, there would be little concern that he could readjust to English football.
Even then, however, the Gunners could still spend big elsewhere. According to The Times, Arsenal are lining up a move to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United this summer.
The midfielder has been the standout star at the London Stadium this season, even if his stocks fell in front of goal against Arsenal last time out.
The deal won’t come cheap if West Ham stay up, but things could change if they suffer the relegation that they’re currently heading towards.
It would be an absurd reality for a Championship club to demand an £80m fee for one of their star players, as is the current asking price by all accounts.
Why Mateus Fernandes is just like Declan Rice
If Berta was to sit Arteta down and ask him for his biggest transfer wish, he may well say another Declan Rice before laughing the idea off. Berta wouldn’t laugh, though.
He’d simply present West Ham’s latest midfield star in Fernandes, a player who could potentially become the “most complete No.8 in the world“, in the view of one Premier League analyst.
The former Southampton star is incredibly similar to the current Arsenal midfielder and has already won the hearts of the Gunners, who watched him find David Raya’s feet in front of goal last weekend.
From a potential villain, he’s already somewhat of an unwanted hero in North London.
PL stats 25/26
Rice
Fernandes
Minutes
3,009
2,844
Goals
4
3
Recoveries
173
171
Pass Success
87.3%
87.4%
Passes P90
53.6
40
As for the likeness to the £105m-rated Rice, the two midfielders are alarmingly similar. Two metronomes who dictate play all without sacrificing any defensive work, Rice and Fernandes would form an excellent partnership at Arsenal.
The fact that the West Ham man is at this level for a club inside the relegation zone is the most surprising aspect of his season. Fernandes, even as everything continues to fall around him, has remained near-perfect.
His potential arrival would hand Arteta plenty to think about. His midfield has been an area of concern in the latter stages of the campaign, with the shattered Martin Zubimendi creating a problem for Arsenal, which Myles Lewis-Skelly has stepped in to solve.
There’s no long-term evidence to suggest that will be the permanent fix, however. After all, Arteta has spent the majority of the current campaign choosing not to trust his academy graduate with a starting role.
The arrival of Fernandes would likely end that experiment and hand Arteta the perfect midfield pair with Rice, even at a premium price.
It’s the type of ruthlessness that Manchester City operated with at their best under Pep Guardiola. It’s why they became the closest to permanent kings that the Premier League has ever seen. So it should come as little surprise that Arsenal want to take another leaf out of that book.
The narrative is already unfolding for Fernandes to become an Arsenal player. The scriptwriters have written his stunning miss into the story and the next chapter may feature a Premier League title as a result.
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