According to rumours, Arsenal has made an initial offer for Brazilian playmaker Bitello, who is reportedly close to joining the club.
This summer, Mikel Arteta has already recruited Kai Havertz and Declan Rice to his midfield, but the Spaniard isn’t anticipated to stop just yet.
What has changed since Bitello joined Arsenal?
According to author Rafael Pfeiffer, the north Londoners have made Gremio an initial bid for Bitello.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, the offer is said to be in the neighbourhood of €8 million (£7 million), which is less than the Brazilian club’s anticipated price of €10 million (£8.6 million).
Sport Witness relayed reports from Brazil that established the association between the player and the club earlier this month.
The calibre of Bitello?
The talented phenom, who typically plays in central midfield, has made an impression in his own nation since graduating from Gremio’s academy.
The 23-year-old Brazilian Serie A player made 14 appearances, scoring three goals while keeping an average match rating of 7.09, according to Sofascore.
The midfielder, who was once praised as “unique” by Talent ID expert Ben Mattinson, is just as combative as he is creative, as evidenced by his statistics.
The Arsenal target shown his ability to control the middle channel by winning an average of 6.9 total duels per game while averaging 1.9 critical passes each game.
The signing of Bitello by the Gunners may increase their midfield depth, but it also serves as a reminder to those currently at the Emirates to perform better if playing time isn’t already secured.
Fabio Vieira, who has underwhelmed since arriving in the capital from Porto last summer, is one name that the arrival of the Brazilian may worry.
According to Transfermarkt, the other central midfielder arrived in north London with the reputation of a deadly asset in Portugal, scoring six goals and dishing out 14 assists in just 27 games during his final season in Liga Portugal.
The 23-year-old has fallen short of expectations, and Sky Sports’ Connor Humm has called him “far too weak” because of his slow adjustment period or being distant from home.
According to Sofascore, the Portuguese player had 22 Premier League games and scored just once while making three starts in his first season.
The addition of Bitello might put Vieira’s quest to move up the pecking order in jeopardy because the Gremio star’s statistics imply that he might be a better fit for the team than the Arsenal player.
The former Porto wizard has been referred to as a weak link in the middle of the park for his inability to protect possession, even if the position of a playmaker steers away from defensive responsibilities.
According to Sofascore, the 23-year-old had trouble getting physical with the opposition in a league known for its physical demands, averaging just 0.3 tackles and 0.9 total duels a game in the previous season.
The Santa Maria de Feira-born forward, who averaged 0.5 critical passes per Premier League game, fell short of the Gunners’ aim in terms of creativity in addition to his lack of defensive proficiency.
Vieira might find it difficult to get back into the mix for playing time in the upcoming season, thus the prospective arrival of Bitello could be detrimental.
