Arsenal struck gold on the new Fabregas

After putting in what might be one of the club’s all-time great performances away to European champions Real Madrid on Wednesday night, Arsenal had the task of dispatching Ipswich Town yesterday afternoon.

Given the hype before their Champions League game and the sheer jubilation that followed it, it wouldn’t have been all that surprising to see the Gunners struggle to motivate themselves for a Premier League game that ultimately now means little in the grand scheme of their season.

However, Mikel Arteta has instilled a certain philosophy in his team, and they came out flying against the Tractor Boys, coming away from Suffolk as fully deserved 4-0 winners, with the likes of Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard seriously impressing.

Yet, as good as the two starters were and as vital as they will be for the rest of the season, one of the second-half substitutes is now worth considerably more than both and could even be the Gunners’ new Cesc Fàbregas.

Merino & Trossard’s game vs Ipswich

With Thomas Partey set to miss the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain thanks to his brainless yellow card in the closing stages of last week’s win, Arteta left him out of yesterday’s starting lineup, moving Merino into midfield and starting Trossard up top, in preparation for the upcoming game.

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While some were understandably worried about changing a winning formula, it would be fair to say it was a tweak that worked perfectly.

For example, the Belgian scored a goal in both halves and what made them all the more impressive was that he did so with little space to manoeuvre in the box, which might be how he has to operate next Tuesday.

We weren’t the only ones impressed with the former Brighton & Hove Albion man either, as the Standard’s Simon Collings awarded him an 8/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘made his case’ to start against PSG and ‘offered more than just goals.’

Moreover, be it the confidence he’s gained from playing up top or the simple fact that he’s now had a sizable run of games in the side, the former Real Sociedad star was phenomenal and earned an 8/10 rating from Collings.

For example, his brilliant backheel allowed Gabriel Martinelli to score his 50th goal for the club, and while he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, he was here, there and everywhere in the middle of the park, as exemplified by his statistics.

For example, in just 57 minutes of action, the “duel monster,” as dubbed by Arsenal content creator Adam Keys, amassed a combined expected goal plus assists figure of 0.48, provided one assist, took 33 touches, played one key pass, was accurate in 100% of his crosses, created one big chance, won ten duels and made six tackles.

In short, both Trossard and Merino put in stellar displays yesterday and should now be nailed-on starters for next Tuesday’s season-defining encounter.

Yet, both players are worth considerably less than one of yesterday’s substitutes, who could be the club’s next Fabregas.

The Arsenal gem worth millions more than Trossard & Merino

So, first things first, how much are Merino and Trossard worth today? Well, according to Football Transfers, the former is worth around €39.7m, which is about £34m, and the latter is valued at €31.8m, which is about £27m.

Now, while those are not insignificant valuations, they are, surprisingly so, much lower than Ethan Nwaneri’s, which is a whopping €54.6m, which comes out to about £47m, or £20m more than the Belgian and £13m more than the Spaniard.

It might seem like an absurd number for someone who’s just turned 18, but that might actually work in his favour, as the Hale Ender is already showing an ability to thrive in a title-chasing side at such a young age, scoring nine goals and providing two assists in just 33 appearances, totalling 1294 minutes.

In fact, it’s this ability to step up and perform like a seasoned professional at such a young age that makes him so similar to Fabregas.

The former captain became the youngest player to represent the team in a competitive fixture – a title now held by the Enfield-born gem – when he came off the bench against Rotherham United in a League Cup match in October 2003.

Then, over the next few years, he became a regular starter in the team, so much so that he started the club’s triumphant FA Cup final against Manchester United in 2005.

On top of breaking through in similar ways, there is a real possibility that the Gunners’ “unplayable” young star, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, could eventually move into the position once held by the Spaniard in time, as while he’s thriving on the wing at the moment, his most played position across his junior career was attacking midfield.

Finally, like the former Barcelona star, the teenage phenomenon has already shown that nothing about top-flight football fazes him, which could be one of the characteristics that help him establish a starting role in the first team in the years to come.

Ultimately, while Merino and Trossard should and almost certainly will start against PSG, Nwaneri looks like he will be one of Arsenal’s best players for potentially the next decade or more.

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