Why Arsenal must reignite their interest in Wylan Cyprien
Back in 2017, according to Daily Star, Arsenal were set to battle Newcastle United for OGC Nice midfielder Wylan Cyprien.
Eventually, the deal did not take place and none could get their hands on Cyprien as he suffered from a cruciate ligament rupture towards the end of the 2016/17 season. His injury blow kept him out of action for 265 days, which means he missed 35 games for the French outfit.
However, Arsenal are looking for reinforcements in the upcoming transfer window and Freddie Ljungberg has revealed that he would not play a key role in January, according to Metro, which leaves clubs chiefs Raul Sanllehi and Edu to make decisions.
The Gunners endured one of their worst starts to the season under sacked manager Unai Emery. They were winless in the league for two months until Ljungberg guided them to a 3-1 victory against West Ham United.
Arsenal have just three central midfielders in their ranks going into the tougher festive period and the club’s hierarchy must address this issue if they are to make a comeback. Real Madrid loanee Dani Ceballos started well but injury has got the better of him and his return might take time.
This leaves two youngsters Joe Willock and Matteo Guendouzi to play their part. Mesut Ozil is likely to move away from the Emirates stadium as the Sun suggests that Fenerbahce have contacted the club regarding a move for the former Real Madrid man.
In this case, the Gunners can take a shot by reviving their interest in Nice’s dynamic midfielder Wylan Cyprien.
The 24-year-old joined Nice in 2016 from Lens and was an integral member of Lucien Favre’s Nice project. Since then, he has been brilliant for the French outfit. This season, under Patrick Viera, Cyprien has featured in 16 Ligue 1 games and has scored 6 goals and assisted twice.
The France U21 international anchored the midfield along with Jean-Michael Seri and the duo was productive enough to lift Nice to a third-place finish at the end of the 2016/17 season.
Cyprien’s versatility is key. He has the capacity to play in a midfield of two or three. His work ethic has allowed him to be a strong box-to-box player and he can flourish alongside Guendouzi and Willock at Arsenal.
A forward-thinking midfielder, Cyprien has registered 3 shots, 1.6 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game in Ligue 1 this term. He has averaged 63.3 passes that accounts for 88.3% success, according to Whoscored.
At Arsenal, he can get the recognition which he deserves and a taste of Premier League action would help build his career. Cyprien is highly-regarded for his athleticism on the pitch and this could benefit Arsenal who seem to have slowed down without the proper driving force.
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Verdict
Given Cyprien’s qualities, Arsenal would be foolish to ignore him. Therefore, to strengthen their squad in the second half of the season, the Gunners must revive their interest and make him a top target in January. If they manage to acquire his services, it would be a great deal for the team.