Report: Arsenal and Tottenham in battle to sign £70m player who's 'one of the best young prospects' in Europe
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Arsenal have made a really poor start to the Premier League season.
Mikel Arteta’s men have won just five of their opening 11 games and are already being cut adrift in the title race.
| Position | Team | PlayedMP | WonW | DrawnD | LostL | ForGF | AgainstGA | DiffGD | PointsPts |
| 1 | LiverpoolLiverpool | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 28 |
| 2 | Man CityManchester City | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 23 |
| 3 | ChelseaChelsea | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 19 |
| 4 | ArsenalArsenal | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 19 |
| 5 | Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 19 |
| 6 | BrightonBrighton | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 19 |
Arsenal reside in fourth place, nine points off league leaders Liverpool ahead of the festive period, so evidently change is needed.
The Janaury transfer window could provide The Gunners a much-needed opportunity to strengthen key areas of the squad.
And with that said, it’s just come to light that they’re set to do battle with North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a highly-rated midfielder on the continent.
Arsenal and Tottenham want Hugo Larsson
According to Christian Falk’s Daily Briefing, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool are all showing an interest in Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Hugo Larsson.
Tottenham have been tracking Larsson since April but they’re now facing serious competition for his signature.
The 20-year-old is thought to be valued at around £70m, so it remains to be seen if any of his suitors are willing to pay that fee mid-season.
Liverpool were keen to sign a deep-lying midfielder during the summer, so perhaps they could be the most serious suitor this winter.
Larsson stats vs Declan Rice
Larsson, who is widely regarded as ‘one of the best young prospects’ in Europe (TheHardTackle), will have to compete against Declan Rice for a place in Arteta’s starting 11 if he were to join in January.
| Stats per 90 | Hugo Larsson | Declan Rice |
| Blocks | 1.74 | 0.92 |
| Interceptions | 1.48 | 1.07 |
| Clearances | 1.78 | 1.49 |
| Pass completion % | 86.8 | 86.3 |
Clearly Larsson, for as good as he is on the ball, is exceptional at the defensive side of the game and arguably better than Rice at is.
So his potential arrival could allow Rice to play in a more advanced role whilst he operates at the base of midfield.
A telling few months lie ahead in North London.
