Speaking to the Totally Football Show Podcast Rafa Honigstein reminded everyone that Arsenal had a bid rejected for Emil Forsberg this summer. After RB Leipzig rejected Arsenal’s €30m bid out of hand, the Swedish attacking midfielder’s agent spoke openly about the player’s desire to move to the Premier League “[Leipzig] didn’t buy [Forsberg] for €15m, but for €3m and he signed a new contract and paid them back 10 times. They will have to live with the fact that they are destroying his dreams.”
Forsberg created 19 assists for RB Leipzig in 2016/17 and Arsenal were very interested in him as the club desperately tried to sell Alexis this summer. After Honigstein’s comments on the TFSP there have been a number of articles claiming that Arsenal are going to go back in for Forsberg this summer. To be very clear, Honigstein did say “a club like that” could go for Forsberg this summer and there are rumors that Liverpool also want Forsberg.
Forsberg is right footed but is largely deployed on the left according to Transfermarkt.com. That’s a bit deceptive because Leipzig play a 4222 and Forsberg is given a lot of freedom in their system but he is listed on the team sheets as starting on the left in almost every match.
Forsberg got 13 of his 19 assists from open play last season and like all creative midfielders, he also provides a lot of throughballs for his teammates to run onto. Leipzig also play a fun, up-tempo style and Forsberg is a great counter attacking threat, providing passes for the speedy Timo Werner to run onto.
Forsberg is not only able to break lines with throughballs, but is also decent dribbler. Dribbling high up the pitch, he completed 71/122 dribbles in 2016/17 and only lost possession 102 times. That was in 30 matches. Alexis Sanchez lost possession 112 times for Arsenal this season in just 19 matches and was 40/60 dribbling.
Another area where Forsberg is statistically very interesting is tackles. Alexis was dribbled past 25 times out of 45 tackles this season with Arsenal. Forsberg was dribbled past 14 of 42 tackles last season – and even better completed 52/88 tackles the season before. Forsberg also had 45 interceptions and 14 blocked passes last season.
Despite the exciting stats and comments from rafa there have been no other clear links to Forsberg from Arsenal and as always I wait for an article (not a link to another source) printed in the Guardian before getting too excited.
Forsberg was not featured in their match against Bayern last weekend. He came on as a sub for the very impressive Keita who was the key to their victory against the German champions. So I haven’t really seen him play but we could use someone who can be effective out wide and afford some protection to the full backs.
I have actually thought about whether Keita is the player we should be looking at.
I have only seen him in a small number of matches but he would be a huge upgrade in midfield I would have thought.
Keita was already bought by Liverpool I thought.
Oh dear shows how much I follow transfer news!
I can’t hear his name without thinking of Peter Forsberg, a great hockey player, but one I really hated when he played for the Avalanche and beat my team, the Canucks, in the 1996 playoffs.
Speaking of the Avalanche, does anybody else think it’s kind of weird to name teams after natural disasters that, like, kill plenty of people every year? I’ve seen teams named “Tsunami”, for example. How would that sound cool after the death tolls in 2004 and 2011? The San Jose Earthquakes are an actual team!
But I guess that’s the point. You make your team sound super scary (or comical, as in the Minnesota Wild). I await with some anticipation future teams with names like:
Sacramento Drought
Indianapolis Ebola
Carson City Climate Change
New York Malaria
Etc.
Oh, and in light of the news today that the world’s last male northern white rhino has died, and in accordance with the Canucks’ form of the last few seasons, I propose Vancouver changes its team’s name to Extinction.
London Black Plage FC was super scary I hear
The New York Nor’esters from the look of things…
Nor’easters..
I always want Forsberg to Arsenal, because we’re due another great Swede in our team. I do agree with Tim that he can replace Iwobi in our team. Beside, if we can buy Auba when we still have Lacazette, our previous record transfer, than I doubt the amount of attacking midfielders in our rank will hinder us to get him.
Sadly, though, we need a massive upgrade in our central midfield, defense and GK. So, unless it’s a huge bargain, I doubt Forsberg will be our priority. I even think, we’re going for players from a lot of new nations to join Arsenal, like Jamaica, Slovakia and Slovenia. It all depends on our new recruiting team and hopefully a new manager next season.
Where would he play? Do we need another creative?
What do you make of the persistent Max Meyer rumors?
Would Doucoure be a good fit?
NO.
We need replacements for Koscielny, Mertesacker, Chambers, Mustafi, Bellerin, Kolasinac, Cech and Ospina. All of whom might not be with our team next year.
Good God. If we buy another attacking player we are a stupid club. We need to spend every dime in the transfer market on remaking our defense. Period.
Word. I mean, this would be such a Wenger signing it’s unreal. Splurge 100 million on two near-identical strikers, then buy a winger when you need to replace practically the entire back seven of the team.