Arsenal could sign £100m 'new Santi Cazorla' to partner Declan Rice: report

 Arsenal have been linked with a bid to add more creativity to their midfield with a move for Benfica wonderkid Joao Neves – who has previously been of reported interest to Manchester United.

Mikel Arteta’s side have looked short of creative flair at times this season: they have been outscored by all of the rest of the top five and have just the ninth-best expected assisted goals number in the Premier League.

Arsenal fans’ ears are likely to prick up at any comparison to Santi Cazorla, who pulled the strings to great effect at the Emirates during his spell at the club a decade ago and whose influence has never quite been successfully replaced.

Football FanCast have dug into the stats and drawn a compelling comparison between Neves and Cazorla – adding to the work of analyst Ben Mattinson, who wrote in October, “Neves reads the game well and has good timing of tackles. The type of tackles where he wins the ball, turns with it whilst he’s on the floor, gets up [and] dribbles away with it. 

“Very Santi Cazorla-esque. Win the ball & retain it then carry it past many opponents.”

90min reported in November that Neves had been watched by a fleet of Premier League scouts as he starred in Benfica’s 2-1 win over Sporting, with representatives from both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Arsenal all said to be watching on.

That seems to be as far as the story goes for now, but it seems like one to keep an eye on.

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