Deadline day is always madness.
No matter the team you support, there is always one deal that will catch fans off guard. Rafael van der Vaart to Tottenham, Mesut Ozil to Arsenal, Peter Odemwingie in a car park. The drama ramps up as the transfer deadline edges closer.
In this article, we’ll cover:
And today’s switch that might just go to the wire? Sandro Tonali to Arsenal. Newcastle are expected to reject any advance for the Italian. Tonali is, after all, one of the Magpies’ key players. However, the Gunners may just make a late move in the market.
Merino injury leaves Arsenal short in midfield
January was always going to be a quiet one for Arsenal. After their summer splurge, that’s hardly a surprise. That was, of course, before it was confirmed that Mikel Merino would miss a substantial period as a result of a foot operation. “Mikel will have surgery in the coming days and will then begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme,” Arsenal said in a statement on Sunday.
Merino sat out the 4-0 win at Leeds on Saturday. The Spaniard’s prolonged absence may force the Gunners into the market late on. Just as they did when Kai Havertz was sidelined due to a knee issue last summer, Arsenal mobilised quickly to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. And from under the nose of rivals Tottenham, no less.
However, as the minutes tick by, Arsenal need to act swiftly to thrash out a deal for Tonali. Even then, Newcastle would demand a massive fee to come to the negotiating table. Alongside Brazilian pair Bruno Guimaraes and Joeltinon, Tonali has established himself as a key man in Eddie Howe’s favoured 4-3-3 system.
How do Merino and Tonali compare?
The setup itself is not too dissimilar to the on Mikel Arteta utilises at the Emirates. And in terms of a replacement for Merino, Arsenal would probably be upgrading in the middle of the park if they were to land Tonali. The former is creating more chances per 90 (1.1) than the latter (1).
In terms of overall distribution, however, Tonali trumps Merino. Indeed, the Italy international boasts a 85.34% pass accuracy from 55.4 passes per 90. His Spanish counterpart, meanwhile, has averaged respective returns of 75.77% from 32 passes per 90. What stands out, too, is Tonali’s range of passing. Again, it’s something the Magpies man wins out on – 51.06% from 5.1 attempted long balls per 90 compared to Merino’s return of 33.33% from 1.9 attempted long balls.
Tonali doesn’t have the ability to operate as an auxiliary forward, but he’s able to dictate the tempo and keep play ticking over if needs must. This is crucial for a dominant Arsenal side that ranks third for possession (57.8%) in the Premier League this season. In terms of the work off the ball, Merino is perhaps the better player, but that is hardly a shock.
Newcastle star Tonali isn’t one to shirk his defensive responsibilities, however he also has Guimaraes and Joelinton in the middle of the park to carry out these duties.
Midfield versatility would appeal to Arteta
In terms of how he’d fit in at Arsenal, well this is selection headache that Arteta would welcome. Tonali is able to carry out a number of midfield duties, and this versatility is a trait that Arteta favours. Whether playing in the Declan Rice role from the left, or anchoring the midfield in place of Martin Zubimendi, this midfield flexibility is something the Arsenal boss craves.
Saying that, a deal for Tonali would be incredibly difficult to complete. Newcastle rejected a Fulham bid for Joe Willock recently. They’d sooner cash in on the former Arsenal man than lose Tonali, yet remain steadfast in their quest to retain the services of both.
The arrival of Tonali, though, would elevate Arsenal’s midfield and then some. The Gunners have one of the strongest overall squads in Europe. This is emphasised in that they went eight for eight in the Champions League league phase and sit six points clear at the top of the Premier League.
And as the title rivals Manchester City spent big to sign Premier League experienced pair Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi to strengthen their defence and attack, Arsenal could do similar to bolster their Premier League pursuit. The signing of Tonali would be one of the biggest deadline day moves in history were it to come to pass.
