Should Arsenal Make A Move For Youssef Fofana?

Should Arsenal Football Club sign Monaco's Youssef Foufana? As we know, Arsenal have a rich history when it comes to French football players. Is it time to add to that? As I said his name, step forward Youssef Foufana. As you know, he currently plays his trade at Monaco Football Club as they attempt to qualify for the Champions League this season. He has one year left on his contract, is a French international, is someone within the world of football that is highly regarded and I'm sure you lot feel the same way. Let me know your thoughts on him. He's made it clear he is open to a move away at the end of this season. I actually did a video on him four years ago, check out that video as well folks. Since then he's gone from strength to strength, you know, since the last time the now 25 year old is in his fourth season at Monaco and finds himself once again trying to help them qualify for the Champions League before I'm sure he hopes to join Didier Deschamps' Le Blues or French side for the Euros in this upcoming summer. Today at the time of making this video, he has 29 appearances so far in Ligue 1 and has three goals and four assists. But we all know when you look at someone like Youssef Foufana, you would not look at goals and assists as a strong point for someone of his skill set. In my opinion, he's best as a box-to-box midfield player. You know, he can play as a six and as an obviously a bit different. He's got a wonderful skill set in terms of his technical level, his ability to manipulate the ball, the way he protects the ball as well. But I think he's, you know, two of his strengths would probably be his engine, the box-to-box dynamism he provides and his ability to win the ball back. Now he's never going to be the greatest technical footballer in your team, but I do think his technical level is great. I just don't necessarily feel that would be how I describe him to people. As we know, playing in his position, he's required to bear a lot of responsibility in possession and he would have to do that at Arsenal Football Club. And I do believe Mr Foufana does that with ease. At the time of making this video, using a small sample size, our point in his career, he actually ranked closer to the top 20% for progressive passes per 90 minutes. As you know, the French international attempts or did at some point attempted 6.35 progressive passes per 90 and he is successful in that than any of his teammates. So you could argue he mimics Thomas Partey in that regards. He stands at five foot nine. He's tall with a commanding presence and he's a very versatile midfielder who is currently contributing significantly to what Monaco are doing. And in the minutes he plays for France people last season, he averaged 8.14 ball recoveries. He ranked in the top 8% in that regards. He was averaging 2.34 progressive carries, which put him in the 87th percentile. Where you look at carries into the final third, he had 2.75. So again, where you look at the other guards, the Sakas, the Martinellis, the Jesuses, the Kajavazes, hopefully a winger or a striker, in terms of that middle third, he displays himself as someone that would be a great partner for Declan Rice, a great option in the squad and someone that could bear the blunt of connecting to a degree the midfield to the final third and letting our final third players do the damage people. I think he's a quality player. He's a comfortable orchestrating player. I wouldn't describe him as, you know, he's not a Gundawan sort of type or De Bruyne in that regards. As I said, not to downplay his technical level, but I think he's more industrious than I would praise, you know, his strengths being technically, even though again, throughout the course of this video, I'm going to keep saying it. Do not doubt him, people. He's comfortable orchestrating play, anchors the midfield. He provides us or could provide us with physicality and the ability to regain possession. He could actually be the perfect partner to free up Declan Rice in that eight position. And as we know, Declan Rice in several interviews has spoken about how Mikel Arteta is changing his thinking in that regards. Once upon a time, he had a great partnership with Monaco, a former Monaco player, Chua Mene, who's obviously now at Real Madrid. If I was to find potential cons, I'd say at times, he's a bit too safe in his passing. Probably doesn't have the passing range of Thomas Partey and clearly not Jorginho, but there has been steady progress year in, year out, people. I do want to see more from him in that regards, but I would describe him as a bull, as a bull carrier versus a dribbler. He does tend to pick up a lot of cards, people. I guess that is a product of his Tigris approach, but these are things that could improve people. Last season, he attempted 2.61 take-ons per 90 and had a very decent success rate of 52%. But those runs pose a goal threat for the opposition. Apparently he ranked at 0.21 per 90 when you're leading to shots on goal. He was also in the 88th percentile. So that shows you sometimes you can go to sleep in the middle of the park. And, you know, sometimes when he gets into the middle third, the decision-making isn't necessarily the best people. He's famed for his physical Paris and his ability to regain possession in the middle third. I believe what could potentially set him apart is his remarkable ability to deceive and outwit opponents. He does quick ball switches, spins, has an array of body feints. You know, when you couple these techniques with physical Paris, people, Paris, it makes him nearly impervious to pressing in the heart of the pitch, where again, being press resistant or playing in tight spaces and under pressure, quick turnovers, both in defence and attack. These are transferable skills that he's displaying at Monaco and at Strasbourg previously, and obviously stuff that we do at Arsenal Football Club. So to a degree, I believe it's a match made in heaven, people. He does play at times this lovely lofty ball over the opposition's defence, which completely bypasses their midfield and backline, which he could do on a more consistent basis. He finds his forwards on a regular basis as well. I do think his long range passing is great. As we know, Mikel Arteta isn't keen on consistent long balls over the top, really. So I think there's a lot of transferable skills, especially where you look at distributing the ball to both flanks, capitalising on the run of his teammates. Quick change of play and forward ball movement significantly would allow him to excel and contribute to our team's swift attack and build up players. You know, we can kill teams in probably three, four passes, or with Ryan's passing range now, probably even less. I mean, where you look at him as well, I would describe him as fearless, man. You look at the way he approaches challenges. He's a player Arsenal fans would fall in love with, in my opinion. He throws his body in front of opponents. He utilises his physical presence, but doesn't rely on that to regain possession or force the opposition to commit fouls. He's very skilful at altering his body. As said, he's good at utilising the football. He's good at shielding the ball. He's got a very good first touch to evade danger and beat his opponents. He's a thinker's man's footballer, in my opinion. We also did see at the Emirates, live with our own eyes, when we played Monaco last year, in a friendly, what he could do. He's got a year left on his deal, people. And where you look at some of the other midfielders we've been linked with, you know, Bruno Gomarez, Douglas Luiz, et cetera, they're going to cost significantly more than the alleged £25m to £30m asking price, if you fall now. And, you know, he's got a year left on his deal versus the others. I don't know if we'll go for him. I think Mikel Arteta and Arsenal probably have admiration for him, but I don't know if there'll be an impending move. But he has a year left on his contract. He's probably going to have a lot of admirers. It's probably, as we speak and make this video, where you lot are concerned listening, it's probably fielding offers and utilising the offers in front of him to guide himself into the next step of what he wants to do in his career. And one thing I like about him, where you could actually extend this to, I guess, Declan Rice for getting released, Eddie Nketiah for getting released, Odegaard for having to deal with the wonderkid kind of tad from a young age. And indirectly, Kai Havertz, he displays resilience. You know, Saka is completely different, but he's shown a lot of resilience in an Arsenal shirt. I do think that is a key character trait that Mikel Arteta is looking for. You know, such is life. He finds himself playing for France at the highest level, playing in the top division, obviously earning a lot of money as a professional footballer. But once upon a time, people, he had to bounce back from getting released early in his career, and he was working part-time delivering pizzas. So that sense of opportunity, that want to realise your potential and work hard every day. Again, these are transferable skills that Mikel Arteta would like. He's far from the finished product. He's well all-rounded. He's got a great foundation. He's far from the finished product. But what he could present is a low-cost operation, which could prove smart for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta and give us a long-term option to partner Declan Rice or a long-term collective midfield option that us Arsenal fans would like. But, you know, that's my two pence. Would you take him? Would you not? Are you a fan of FIFA? Are you not? What are the pros and cons? Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe. Most importantly, people, stay safe, stay blessed. Check out the rest of the content. Peace.