It is official – Arsenal have lost Aaron Ramsey to Juventus, according to the Guardian, with the Welshman signing a reported £36 million pay packet with the Serie A giants. While Ramsey will join the club in the summer, it’s a massive blow for Arsenal especially with no replacement in sight.
Now, the Mirror has reported that the Gunners are interested in signing FC Porto star Hector Herrera in the near future. The 28-year-old is regarded as one of the best central midfielders in the world, but can he successfully help both Arsenal and help replace Aaron Ramsey?
An experienced midfielder, the Mexican international has made just over 200 appearances for the Portuguese side since his arrival in 2013 and has also made his mark in not one, but two World Cups for his country. One of the standout performers for Mexico at the recent Russia 2018 World Cup, alongside Hirving Lozano, Herrera is not a box-to-box midfielder like Ramsey.
Instead, the 28-year-old is more of a Lucas Torreira or Granit Xhaka-esque player, who excels at breaking up play and then using that to drive his team forward. His passing abilities are second to none in the Liga Nos with Herrera creating 33 assists in all competitions for Porto. Not only that, his awareness to step back and take a moment before dictating play, adds to his value but clearly, he isn’t what Arsenal need.
It must be noted that while the Mexican international would make a brilliant addition, there is a great chance that he could halt development at Arsenal. The likes of Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and a few others could have their chance to shine with Ramsey gone, but if Arsenal sign Hector Herrera, that may ever happen.
However, on the other hand, Mohamed Elneny might leave in the near future to make space for another player and there is a chance that Herrera could replace him as the rotating midfielder. Whether or not that’s a role the FC Porto man is willing to take, that’s another question but it could be chance to show his worth in one of the toughest leagues in the world.
