According to a report from Sky Sports, Everton have had a £30million bid rejected by Arsenal for 23-year-old winger Alex Iwobi.
The report reveals that the Toffees are expected to return with an improved bid in the next two days. Regardless of Everton’s potential offer, Arsenal should not even consider selling the mercurial Nigerian this summer.
Iwobi earned Unai Emery’s trust last season as he featured in 51 games in all competitions. He scored six goals and provided nine assists and ended the campaign with an absolute screamer against Chelsea in the Europa League final.
The 23-year-old’s decision making in the final third irked fans on multiple different occasions. However, a record of 16 goal involvements isn’t really bad for someone who is still only 23 years old.
A fee well higher than the reported £30million could be tempting for the Gunners who now have record signing Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as first-choice starters on either wing. However, Iwobi’s impact could be incredibly beneficial in the upcoming season, even if he is not a regular starter.
Lack of quality backup:
Henrikh Mkhitaryan looks nowhere near the player he was at Borussia Dortmund. An injury to any of the first-choice wingers will force Emery to use Reiss Nelson on the flank. As talented as the youngster is, he lacks the experience that Iwobi has and could struggle to adjust immediately.
Iwobi undoubtedly has a lot to prove at the Emirates to cement a consistent starting spot for himself. However, his energy, work rate and ability to drive with the ball from one end of the field to another will prove to be a costly miss for the Gunners if they were to sell him in the next two days.
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