Before being appointed as Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta had a successful period as Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager at Manchester City where he helped secure two Premier League titles and one FA Cup for the club.
During that time, one player that became an important figure for the Citizens and will have benefited from Arteta’s coaching is Phil Foden.
Since making his senior debut for the Manchester club back in 2017, the 22-year-old has gone on to score 48 goals and deliver 35 assists in 179 appearances across all competitions.
Now as Arsenal’s manager, Arteta could well have the opportunity to sign a player for the north London club that could be his own version of Foden at the Emirates.
Earlier this month, it was reported that representatives from Arsenal and other Premier League clubs were in attendance to see Moussa Diaby feature in Bayer Leverkusen’s recent Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.
In 134 appearances for the German club, the winger has found the net 36 times and supplied 39 assists, showing how similar he is to Foden by not only being able to score goals but setting them up for his teammates as well.
Also, the City star is included on a list of similar players to the Leverkusen winger according to FBref.
Last season saw the Frenchman end the Bundesliga campaign with more shot-creating actions (103) and more successful dribbles (50) than any of his teammates, showcasing his clear attacking talent.
Described as having “electrifying” pace by journalist Aaron Stokes, Diaby could be an ideal addition to Arteta’s squad as the Spaniard only has Gabriel Martinelli as his main left-winger.
Despite having a hefty reported price tag of €70m (£61m), this is a potential deal that we feel Arsenal should look to explore if the opportunity arises at some point in the future.
