‘Put it right’ – Arsenal should make the move to sign Bournemouth star
At one point last year, Ryan Fraser was seen as a player who was ready to make the step-up to a big club. But the way things have panned out, his stock seems to have fallen. But if Arsenal get the chance to make a move for the Scotsman, they shouldn’t back away.
90 Mins have recently said that Fraser is being eyed as one of the three free-agent signings that Mikel Arteta wants. While Willian and Laywin Kurzawa happen to be the other two free-agents that the club could want, the case of Fraser happens to be a crucial one.
Last season, the 26-year-old was one of the best in his position. He had contributed to 21 goals for Bournemouth and was the club’s best player in the whole campaign. Under Eddie Howe, Fraser had an impressive XG of 4.76 and an XA of 2.18. He was the club’s chief-creator, helping them to a solid midtable finish.
Despite reports linking him with a move away from the club, Fraser stayed at the Vitality Stadium. And the campaign has seen his numbers dip to a low for the club. The Scottish winger has contributed to only five goals, scoring once and assisting four times only.
He has underperformed on his XG by 2.46. While it has been a poor season, Bournemouth are lingering in the drop-zone themselves, leading to online bookmakers like allvideoslots cn tipping them for relegation once the season restarts. Constant injury issues at the side have led to instability, with Fraser suffering from that as well in the campaign. His final product has come down, while Joshua King has been injured for a good part of the season and Callum Wilson hasn’t scored enough goals as a result.
David Brooks was very good last season and kept things ticking for the whole side from attacking midfield. But the Welshman has been injured and this has made the Cherries’ attack look less vibrant. Without him, there’s an over-reliance on Fraser, Wilson and King.
The club’s tactical plan is too rigid and Howe has come under criticism for it. In fact, Fraser has already admitted to why the performances have dipped for him. Earlier this year, he revealed the reason to be how he had let the transfer speculation get to his head.
He said: “I think everyone knows by now what has happened, to be honest with you.
“It obviously affected me in the first four months of the season, I wasn’t myself and I didn’t play for the team, I’m honest enough to admit that.
“I look back at it and I spoke to my family about it, and it just looked bad on me, I didn’t help the team, so the last month or so I have been trying to put it right, and yes it shouldn’t have had to take me that long to realise, but I am my own worst critic and I apologise to the lads and that’s all I can do.”
This doesn’t just show what the reason for Fraser’s downfall has been. It also reveals a key part of his attitude- being honest about things and knowing where he has gone wrong. Any big club would like that. He hasn’t blamed anything else for his dip and has taken the criticism on the chin.
That should encourage Arsenal. When playing in the right system and with the right players, Fraser was lighting up the league last season. Arsenal have the system in place and need the players to come in and make an impact. Fraser is the direct winger who adds pace and verticality to the team’s play.
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang has been linked with a move away from the club. The Gabon man has been shunted out wide for a good part of the season, meaning Fraser would come in as the natural replacement in the position. He is only 26 and can be the proper winger that Nicolas Pepe is on the right.
The Gunners did want Wilfried Zaha and had bids rejected for him. It shows that they need a left-winger soon, with Alex Iwobi having left for Everton. Fraser fixes that issue very well.
