Arsenal interested in summer move for Bournemouth playmaker Ryan Fraser

The Gunners are the latest club to show interest in the Scotland international after his impressive season this year with the Cherries.

Arsenal boss Unai Emery is looking to strengthen their attack out wide this summer and Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Fraser is the latest player to be on their wishlist. His breakout season under Eddie Howe at Bournemouth has turned heads from all around the Premier League,  scoring six times and tallying ten assists in 32 appearances.

He has formed a fantastic partnership with striker Callum Wilson this season, who has bagged 11 goals and assisted six. Between the two, they have been directly involved in 33 of Bournemouth’s 43 goals this season.

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With Aaron Ramsey leaving for Juventus this summer, Arsenal needs a solid replacement for the Welshman, who has been extremely instrumental to the club this term. Fraser has spent time playing out wide on the left as an attacking midfielder but can also play in the middle. His eye for goal and quickness has really caught the eye of Emery, who sees the Scot as a player who could really help out their club next season.

He is able to play on both flanks also, which is seen as a huge plus to Arsenal. They got Barcelona loanee Denis Suarez in January, but he’s been disappointing and hasn’t been able to get in a groove at the Emirates. Fraser is seen as a more beneficial player who could contribute immediately upon his arrival in North London.

Breakout year for Fraser

Before this season, Ryan Fraser wasn’t really a name that many people throughout the Premier League knew. In the 2017/18 campaign, the 25-year old scored just five times and assisted only three goals in 26 appearances. He has shattered those numbers this year, currently sitting second in the Premier League with 10 assists, just one behind Chelsea star Eden Hazard.

His contract is up in 2020 with Bournemouth and chances are he is most likely keen on moving to a bigger PL club. Arsenal doesn’t have a lot of funds currently, but if they slip into a Champions League spot by the season’s end, they will have more money to spend in the summer transfer window. However, Fraser shouldn’t cost a lot at this point, as he just started to break out as a top talent this season. He could definitely be an affordable option for Arsenal who would give them a solid wide midfielder who could really do damage from a scoring and playmaking standpoint.

Fraser has lightning quick speed on the flanks and despite his small stature, he’s very strong on the ball with a solid lower half. With top strikers up front in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, Fraser could tally a lot more assists if he ends up with the Gunners next season.

If he makes himself available and shows the interest to move to the Emirates, I think it should be a no-brainer for Emery to try and sign Ryan Fraser. He will offer them a much-needed talent on the flanks, a position where they have struggled to find consistency.