Arsenal In A Tight Race To Sign £44m Rated Croatian Midfielder...CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Arsenal face tough competition to sign Stade Rennais midfielder Lovro Majer with FC Barcelona and Real Madrid amongst other European clubs interested.
With injuries to Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny, Arsenal have a lack of options in the midfield. Croatia in recent years have produced some exceptional modern midfielders.
These midfielders are more than usually blessed with an excellent work ethic which complements their technique and versatile skill set.
Arsenal sent scouts to watch the player dubbed “next Luka Modric” as the £44m youngster impressed in international friendlies.
While the Gunners never made any concrete efforts to sign Youri Tielemans, Arsenal did see three late bids rejected by Aston Villa for Douglas Luiz on summer transfer deadline day.
The main idea was to bring someone to cover for Thomas Partey, who has struggled with injuries since arriving at the club. Majer’s contract with Rennes runs until the summer of 2026 and is rated at over £40m.
Born in 1998, Lovro Majer was just 18 years old when he made his top-flight and European debuts. He started his professional career at hometown club Lokomotiva Zagreb, making his debut in a Europa League qualifier in 2016.
He scored 14 goals for Lokomotiva in the 2017-18 season (stats via transfermarkt), earning a €2.5m move to Dinamo Zagreb.
His form there saw him get compared to another ex-Dinamo player, Luka Modric, though it didn’t come immediately. His performances throughout the 2020-21 campaign helped Dinamo cruise to the title, eight points clear of their nearest challengers.
Majer received his first senior cap for Croatia when he was given time off the bench against Mexico in 2017.
Both the form and his adaptability attracted attention. Teams noted Majer’s versatility and wanted to secure a deal for him. Lovro Majer got his first big move in the summer window of the 2021/22 season when he made a switch to Stade Rennais in Ligue 1.
Although he had a difficult start to his tenure at Rennes, Majer turned up the quality as the season went on. He finished with six goals and eight assists in 29 league appearances (stats via transfermarkt).
He also impressed in the Europa League, earning an assist as Dinamo stunned Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16 before falling to eventual champions Villarreal in the quarter-finals.
Lovro Majer is usually deployed as a central midfielder but can make deep runs and contribute to the attack, similar to what Granit Xhaka has been doing this season.
The Croatian can also play in the advanced role, but Arsenal already have Fabio Vieira and Martin Odegaard in those roles, alongside Emile Smith Rowe.
This season, Lovro Majer’s stats reflect his capability to fulfil the 8/10 hybrid role or the mezzala role for the best managers and the best teams.
Both Majer and Modric have won three Croatian top-flight titles with Zagreb, but the former still has some way to go before he can reach the Real Madrid legend’s heights.
Verdict:
The Gunners reportedly watched the Ligue 1 midfielder in action against Denmark in the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League.
Their scouts’ presence has increased the speculations around the player, with Arsenal reportedly considering making an approach.
Moreover, a transfer for Majer will also depend on whether Arsenal will go back for Tielemans or Luiz in the next windows.
From a profile standpoint, he could be someone that Mikel Arteta might feel the need to bring in later, but as of now, the Gunners are well stocked in that area with Albert Sambi Lokonga and Xhaka.
Working under Arteta at Arsenal is an exciting prospect at the moment, especially considering how willing he is to give younger players a chance to express themselves.
Arsenal currently sit at the top of the Premier League having only lost one game so far this season and winning the rest.
Despite this, there’s no doubt that they will still need reinforcements over the next 12 months if they want to continue to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool at the top end of the league.
The 24-year-old Croatian is making a big name for himself in France with Rennes, following his move from Dinamo Zagreb last year.
But it seems his stint in France will be a short one with the Ligue 1 side ready to cash in on the player for a vastly-inflated profit.
Indeed, having cost them £10.7m (€12m) in the summer of 2021, they are now willing to sell him for four times their investment.
Newcastle Overtake Arsenal In Race To sign Tielemans
Arsenal will reportedly face stiff competition from Newcastle United for the signature of Youri Tielemans.
The Gunners were heavily linked with a move for Youri Tielemans throughout the 2022 summer transfer window. The Leicester City midfielder has a contract until the end of the season, after which he will be available on a free transfer.
Tielemans was also reportedly not considering a contract extension and was available for just €25 million.
However, the Gunners ultimately abstained from signing the Belgian midfielder. Arsenal had already signed Fabio Vieira to add steel to their midfield, while Mohamed Elneny also signed a contract extension. Oleksandr Zinchenko could also be used in the midfield if necessary.
Newcastle United Pull Ahead Of Arsenal In Race For Youri Tielemans:
Additionally, the option of signing Youri Tielemans at a reduced price in six months, or as a free agent in one year, appeared to be a realistic option for Arsenal.
The former AS Monaco midfielder is just 25 years old and has several years of top-level football left. His reported €35k-a-week wages are also very affordable for Arsenal.
However, Newcastle United have now edged ahead of Arsenal in the race for Youri Tielemans. According to French outlet Jeunes Footeux, the Magpies are planning to launch a bid for Tielemans as soon as the winter transfer window opens.
Newcastle are determined to push Leicester hard to sell their midfielder and are expected to open with a bid of around €20m. Leicester could struggle to refuse the offer, as Tielemans would be available on a free transfer just 6 months later.
However, Tielemans aspires to play European football, a benefit Arsenal offer but Newcastle United do not. The Gunners have also lined up a move for Douglas Luiz.
Arsenal lodged 3 unsuccessful bids for the Brazilian on deadline day. They could very well resume their pursuit of Luiz in case they fail to land Youri Tielemans.
