Despite having the youngest squad in the Premier League with an average age of 24.7 according to Transfermarkt, Arsenal still have some vastly-experienced players in their ranks.
One player, for example, who fits this bill and has been a prominent figure in Mikel Arteta’s team this season is Thomas Partey.
With 16 league appearances to his name this term, the 29-year-old has started all of them and completed the full 90 minutes more often than not.
Despite still having over two years left on his contract at the Emirates, the north London club may have set their sights on signing another midfielder that we feel could be their ideal next version of Partey – Amadou Onana.
Everton signed the midfielder during the previous summer transfer window from Lille in a deal worth a reported fee of £33m.
The 21-year-old didn’t take long to become a vital figure for the Toffees, as he’s gone on to make 18 league appearances for the Merseyside club.
In terms of being a next version of Partey, Onana’s statistics this season have shown how similar he is to the Arsenal figure.
Would you take Amadou Onana at Arsenal?
Yes
No
For example, the midfield duo have racked up a similar number of shots at goal (19 vs 20), blocks (14 vs 12) and interceptions (17 vs 19).
In addition to that, there is only a one percent difference between their individual passing accuracy percentages, with Onana having 84.6% and Partey having 85.6%.
The Belgian’s overall performances have earned him a season rating of 6.77/10 from WhoScored, making him the second-highest rated outfield player at Everton that has started more than three league games.
Described as being a “giant of a midfielder” by Robin Bairner, the Everton figure would surely be a solid long-term signing for the Gunners given his age and the ability he’s shown in the Premier League.
Moving forward, if Everton fail to regain their place in the top-flight by the end of the season, we feel that Arteta’s side should definitely do all they can to bring Onana to the Emirates.