Who is Joan Jordan? Arsenal ‘plan transfer for La Liga’s fifth-most creative player’
Arsenal have reportedly identified Eibar midfielder Joan Jordan as the ideal replacement for the outgoing Aaron Ramsey.
According to Spanish publication Marca, Unai Emery is weighing up a summer bid for the Catalonian as he looks to fill Ramsey’s impending No.10 void.
Who is Joan Jordan? Five key things to know…
- A product of the Espanyol academy, Jordan made 17 appearances before joining Eibar in 2017.
- The 24-year-old has since established himself as an integral player at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium.
- He has so far appeared 66 times for the club, scoring nine goals and registering eight assists.
- Nominally a central midfielder, Jordan is capable of playing further up the pitch in the No.10 role.
- Jordan has created the fifth-highest number of chances in La Liga this season (52).
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The Welshman signed a lucrative four-year deal with Juventus in February and will join the Turin club when his Arsenal contract expires on July 1.
His departure has been met with fervent disapproval from some sections of the Gunners fanbase, but Emery is hoping to alleviate those frustrations with the acquisition of Jordan.
The 24-year-old will see his present deal with Eibar expire at the end of next season, and with a £12.8m release clause in his contract, the Spaniard would offer a much cheaper alternative to some of Arsenal’s other major targets.
As such, Emery has been keeping close tabs on the midfielder’s situation in the Basque region, with reports suggesting Eibar will be willing to entertain offers this summer through fear of losing him on a free the following season.
Marca’s report also indicates that Eibar are open to sitting down with Arsenal to iron out the details and get the best possible deal for all parties involved.
This summer is set to be a busy one in north London; the club have acquired the temporary services of Denis Suarez from Barcelona, but are unlikely to trigger a permanent deal with the midfielder failing to impress so far.
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Jordan’s style of play
Jordan has impressed from central midfield this season, helping Eibar to 11th in La Liga, with his performances yielding three goals and five assists.
One of Jordan’s most desirable traits is his ability to function anywhere across the central midfield line, be it as an advanced playmaker, central midfielder or as a deep-lying pivot at the base.
As such, he is a player who possesses the ability to both create and break down play, similar to that of Ever Banega, a player who flourished under the guidance of Emery at Valencia and Sevilla.
Arsenal were linked with the Argentine upon Emery’s arrival, but a move failed to transpire, and so, he may now look to revisit his interest in bringing a more dynamic midfielder to the Emirates through the signing of Jordan.
The Regencos-born midfielder is one of the few players in La Liga who has both created over 40 chances and made over 40 tackles this season, showing he boasts that ideal synthesis between attack and defence.
Among those to have also reached that feat this term are the aforementioned Banega (44, 65), Luka Modric (40, 41), Daniel Parejo (65, 54), and a certain Santi Cazorla (49, 49) – who has been imperious since coming back from a long-term injury lay-off.
Jordan has also created the fifth-highest number of chances in La Liga this season (52), making him a midfield player who could do very well under the watchful eye of Emery.
