It seems that Arsenal and Manchester United have shortlisted the same players for this transfer window as majority of the options between the two English giants seem to clash. In the past both the teams have contacted Morgan Schneiderlin, Ilkay Gundogan, Arturo Vidal and Petr Cech to name a few. However, it again seems that the two teams are going head-on for Napoli wing back Faouzi Ghoulam. Ghoulam currently plays for Serie A high flyers Napoli and Algeria in national outfit despite being born in France.
The Algerian defender joined Napoli joined Napoli last year in January from St. Etienne for a projected fee of around 5 million Euros. It was recently reported by major tabloids like Independent, Mirror and Football Italia that a swoop for Ghoulam is coming from Arsenal. He was also wanted by Louis Van Gaal the last season around but they didn’t make an official bid for him. So, let’s check out how he pans out and is he Premier League ready?
Strengths, Weaknesses and Style of Play:
The Algerian is very versatile and can occupy the entire left flank by occupying the roles of a left full back, left midfield and also can push forward as a left winger. Major defining factor of Ghoulam is his crossing. The 24-year old has assisted with 4 goals this season which is decent enough for a full back. Another major talking point about Ghoulam’s gameplay is his passing. The left back has provided some key passes and also has decent amount of forward passes for the season. Also, his pass success percentage is above 86% which is really well. His passes have been incisive and they have provided forwards some real cushioning in finishing.
Apart from his attacking tally, Ghoulam has been performing his defensive duties very well as a matter of fact he has been really strong in aerial duels and has won 2 aerial duels on an average in all the matches this season. Another major defensive plus point is his ball interception. Ghoulam has nip and tuck at the back and hasn’t allowed passes to go through him to add to this he has stopped some crucial crosses giving wingers a tough time in Serie A. His major asset which makes him so special is his concentration on the ball. His focus has been tremendous and has seen majority of the top flights coming after him. However, all said and done the major flaws in his game has to be Jack of all masters of none. Ghoulam has been performing well but hasn’t improved in a specific part of the game. It’s unfortunate but players like him don’t thrive in Premier League and remain as backup player or maybe filler in team.
Conclusion:
His deal to Arsenal looks pretty much done and I think that he is decent option for Arsene Wenger to use. In conclusion, I would like to say that Ghoulam should opt for a switch and look for a move to the Premier League.