"He’s got that kind of Patrick Vieira style about him" - Noel Whelan explains why Arsenal should consider making a move for 27-year-old Premier League midfielder
Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes Arsenal should consider bringing in West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek this summer.
The Gunners will certainly be looking to bolster their squad depth after a disappointing end to their 2021-22 campaign. Despite being in pole position to secure a spot in next season's UEFA Champions League, they ended up finishing fifth in the Premier League. They also lost in the semifinals of the EFL Cup and the third round of the FA Cup.
While Soucek hasn't been linked with Mikel Arteta's side, his future at West Ham is reportedly up in the air. Football Insider recently revealed that the Hammers could be open to offers for the 27-year-old after contract talks stalled, with Manchester United among those interested.
Whelan, who the FA Youth Cup with Leeds, feels United may go in a different direction under Erik ten Hag. He told Football Insider:
“With Man United, that was when they had a different manager in place. Ten Hag might have different ideas. [Donny] Van de Beek will obviously be going back next season, that might be his Soucek.”
West Ham’s contract talks with Tomas Soucek reach impasse over pay rise theguardian.com/football/2022/…
The 47-year-old added that Soucek could be a good signing for Arsenal because his playing style is similar to that of Gunners legend Patrick Vieira.
“Where would Soucek go? Would he fit into an Arsenal team, like a Xhaka out there? That’s a possibility. He’s got that kind of Patrick Vieira style about him, hasn’t he? Soucek dominates midfields as he’s good with his height. He breaks forward, gets into good areas in the box and he’s got the energy to get up and down.”
Whelan concluded:
“That might be something that they look at as an improvement on what they’ve got in that midfield area.”
Arsenal lack sufficient experience in midfield at the moment
Arsenal have a good crop of midfielders in their ranks at the moment. Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey (when fit) impressed this season, while Granit Xhaka also looked a more composed presence towards the end. Mohammed Elneny proved to be a valuable back-up option as well.
However, the Gunners still need experience in their midfield, especially given Partey's consistent injury problems. Albert Sambi Lokonga is still learning his trade and has not been able to fill the void left by the Ghanaian when needed. Elneny enjoyed a good run towards the end of the season but he isn't the solution.
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Signing a player like Soucek would definitely bolster their squad. The Czech has already played 105 times across all competitions for West Ham since joining in 2020. He helped them secure UEFA Europa League football in the 2020-21 season and was key to their deep run in the tournament in the 2021-22 campaign.