Arsenal loved a strong January switch window, albeit perhaps not the one which Mikel Arteta envisioned at first of the month.
Whereas Jorginho, Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard all arrived in north London, different targets reminiscent of Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk ended up in a distinct a part of the capital, and Arteta will hope that this gained’t have an effect on his group’s Premier League title ambitions forward of a vital few months.
Regardless of the plain names that they missed out upon in January, the Gunners missed a significant trick by failing to signal Brazilian teen Danilo, who ended up becoming a member of Nottingham Forest for £18m, and it is likely to be a call that Arteta rues.
Arsenal made a bid for the midfielder final summer time and journalist Jorge Nicola claimed that they’d be able to submit a second bid for the 21-year-old following the conclusion of the World Cup group stage.
No such transfer materialised, although, and it might show to be an enormous mistake on Arsenal’s half, particularly since he might’ve been Arteta’s very personal Gilberto Silva.
The north Londoners haven’t had a combative Brazilian midfielder for the reason that 2002 World Cup winner came to Highbury in that individual yr.
Danilo is sort of a carbon copy of his compatriot, with each of them taking part in simply in entrance of the defensive position, screening the again 4 and beginning assaults from deep. Gilberto went on to make 243 appearances for the Gunners, and with Danilo but to show 22, he might have been a mainstay within the Arsenal midfield for a few years.
The Forest participant definitely embodied Gilberto throughout his spell at Palmeiras within the 2022 season, making 2.1 tackles and taking 51.3 touches per match. These figures are practically equivalent to the previous Arsenal midfielder throughout his remaining marketing campaign in Brazil ten years in the past, with the ex-Gunners ace making two tackles and 1.7 interceptions per recreation.
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Gilberto won a Premier League title and two FA Cups as a participant beneath Arsene Wenger, and the Gunners struggled to switch him after he departed in 2008.
Journalist Zach Lowy stated final summer time that Danilo “can be a shrewd pickup” for Arsenal in the event that they managed to safe his signature, and with Forest since benefitting by shifting for him, Arteta might get a first-hand glimpse on the mistake that he has made.