Eberechi Eze set for new Arsenal role as Arteta misses out on elite attacking duo | OneFootball

Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze will be asked to frequent a different role this season as the Gunners respond to failures to land a pair of elite forwards this summer.

The Gunners wanted desperately to add an elite attacking option to their attack this summer. As put by Jamie Carragher: “There’s no point just bringing in somebody of the level that you’ve already got because they’ve got five or six players in that attack that are 7/10 or 8/10 players – they just wanted that 9/10 or 10/10 player.”

The two main options of that sort for Arsenal were Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez. It looked for a small while like the Real Madrid man could genuinely move to the Emirates.

But he was then persuaded by Jose Mourinho to remain at the Spanish juggernauts.

The pursuit of Alvarez was no more fruitful, as he had his heart set on joining Barcelona, and though he was told on multiple occasions that deal would not be happening, he refused to consider Arsenal if there was a chance he could make his preferred move.

After the Gunners failed to land an elite forward – in particular one on the left wing – it’s believed Eze will be deployed there more often.

Football Insider reports the attacking-midfielder will be asked to feature more regularly on the left flank as a result of the transfer failings, and may even be considered as the first choice there at times.

Mikel Arteta likes Eberechi Eze on the left wing

Eze is primarily a No.10, and while he has played on either flank at times during his career, he has most often played through the middle.

Since joining Arsenal, the vast majority of his minutes have come in attacking midfield, while he has also featured on the left wing at times.

Both times he has come off the bench for the Gunners this season, Eze has done so on the left wing, and he impressed after replacing new signing Christos Tzolis in the 1-0 victory over Aston Villa on Monday.

Arteta spoke of his happiness at the job Eze had done on the left wing in that game.

He said: “We knew that he could create an action. He created three actions that he put people almost looking at the goalkeeper one-against-one, but as well I have to trust him.

“When they make the rotation, especially on the right-hand side, and [Matty] Cash’s goal last year he lost him, we conceded the goal – and this year, I think he learned a lesson because every time something was happening he was at it, and I think he helped the team in a great way.”