According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Arsenal have scouted Rennes attacking midfielder Lovro Majer ahead of the January transfer window. The Gunners were looking for engine room reinforcements over the summer, but their deadline-day pursuit of Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz fell through.
Mikel Arteta is reportedly looking for a new central midfielder who can combine creativity with defensive stability and can serve as a backup to Thomas Partey or Granit Xhaka in January.
A slew of names have already been linked to them, with Croatia international midfielder Lovro Majer being the most recent.
Since joining Rennes from Dinamo Zagreb in August 2021, the 24-year-old has been dubbed “the new Modric” and has been one of the French team’s standout players. Arsenal scouts have reportedly been watching him in action during the recent international break and have been monitoring him for the past season. The rumours are still in their early stages, but they may pick up steam in the coming months.
Majer rose through the ranks at Dinamo during his three years stint at the club before taking his career to the next level at Rennes last summer. In his first season in France, he finished with six goals and eight assists in 29 Ligue 1 appearances. He has maintained his form this season as well, contributing a goal and two assists in eight appearances.
Aside from Arsenal, bigwigs like Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, PSG, and Sevilla are said to be keeping a close eye on his future with such outstanding performances on a regular basis.
Majer’s style of play has been compared to that of Modric, with the young midfielder excelling in the creative ranks. The Croatia international can operate as either a deep-lying playmaker or a box-to-box midfielder. His best quality is connecting the defence and the attack, and he is also capable of finding the back of the net.
He has made an impression in his early career and shows no signs of slowing down. The player is about to enter his prime years, and if Arsenal can pull it off, it will be a wise business decision on their part. The 24-year-old, who can play anywhere in a central midfield position, would provide Arteta’s squad with much-needed versatility.
With Partey and Mohamed Elneny approaching their 30s and Granit Xhaka’s position in need of an upgrade, Arsenal’s investment in Majer makes perfect sense.
