Arsenal seemingly had all their business tied up as the Premier League season drew ever closer, and yet reports continue to emerge regarding potential new acquisitions…
Are Arsenal signing Nicolo Barella?
Despite it being well-documented that the Gunners would have to sell before they could buy again, that has not stopped the rumour mill from turning, as reports from earlier this week certainly caught the eye.
They stated that Mikel Arteta, despite the club's spending having now surpassed €230m (£198m), was proposing a swap deal in an effort to tempt Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella to complete his starting XI.
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The Italian is combative, elegant and tireless, suggesting he boasts all the necessary qualities needed to shine within this system.
However, his £80m price tag, reported earlier in the window, could provide a stumbling block to the free-spending side who have ambitions of toppling Manchester City in the coming campaign.
How good is Nicolo Barella?
Whilst his exploits often go undocumented in England given he has spent his entire career thus far in his homeland, that will not have stopped scouts from earmarking the 26-year-old for a big move soon.
He has all the necessary attributes to thrive in England, having arguably done all there is to do in Italy with his beloved Inter side. Journalist Aaron West has been enamoured with the enforcer for some time now, noting in 2021: "Barella is really special man".
His trophy cabinet is impressive, and it could be argued that their recent place in the Champions League final was a miraculous run unlikely to be repeated anytime soon. So, in an effort to potentially gain revenge over Manchester City for taking that title away from him, perhaps a move to the Emirates could allow him the opportunity to instead snatch the Premier League back from Pep Guardiola.
After all, to pair his engine room exploits with Declan Rice would prove deadly for the rest of the division, offering the perfect blend of hard work, defensive steel and creativity.
The former West Ham United captain joined in a club-record move just last month, with his importance to the future of Arteta's revolution indescribable. The Athletic reported how everything good the Spanish coach hoped to do in the future hinged on this deal, so to make it amidst pressure from the Cityzens was imperative.
He was welcomed off the back of a stellar final year in east London, where he led his side to European glory and maintained a 7.19 average match rating in the Premier League. This was a figure buoyed by his 88% pass accuracy and six goal contributions alongside one key pass, 1.7 interceptions and 2.1 tackles per game, via Sofascore.
To see some offensive know-how creep into his already outstanding game marks an exciting future of development, sure to be boosted if he is featuring alongside the creativity of Barella.
After all, the Italy international saw his goal contributions in Serie A rise to 12, maintaining an 85% pass accuracy as well as 1.6 key passes and 1.4 tackles per game, via Sofascore.
The two are equally adept defensively as they are at going forward, meaning if one should seek to push on and add another body to the attack, the other would be comfortable screening the defence alone for a period.
They are relentless but boast immeasurable quality, with this touted deal certain to form one of the finest midfield partnerships in not just the Premier League, but all of Europe.