Netherlands international Teun Koopmeiners is a boyhood Arsenal fan and would certainly be tempted by a move to the Premier League giants, according to De Telegraaf.
With Granit Xhaka on his way to Roma, it’s tempting to view each and every one of Arsenal’s many midfield targets through the prism of life without the box-blond battle axe.
And, in many ways, Koopmeiners feels like the ideal replacement for a man who, contrary to what the cynics would have you believe, was actually one of Mikel Arteta’s more consistent performers in 2020/21.
For a start, Koopmeiners is left-footed – just like Xhaka. He is also a natural-born leader having been named captain of AZ Alkmaar at the age of 21.
What’s more, Koopmeiners is blessed with a remarkable passing range, impressive versatility, and there’s an argument to be made he’s actually a more well-rounded footballer than Xhaka too.
A devastating set-piece taker, Koopmeiners has contributed 33 goals and ten assists from a nominally deep-lying defensive midfield role in the past two seasons.
Is Koopmeiners heading to Arsenal as Xhaka replacement?
The now 23-year-old playmaker surely won’t be an AZ player at the end of August, though, with De Telegraaf reporting Arsenal are in a battle with the likes of Rennes and Jose Mourinho’s Roma for his signature.
“Talks with the Giallorossi (Roma) are going in the right direction,” the player said a few weeks ago.
The London giants have an ace up their sleeve, however. The report adds Koopmeiners is a boyhood Gunners fanatic.
Now, it’s uncertain at this stage how serious Arsenal are about the Dutchman.
Arteta and co have been reluctant to put all their eggs in one basket, having also enquired about Ruben Neves, Sambi Lokonga and Manuel Locatelli.
The Serie A outfit were reluctant to pay the £18 million Alkmaar want for arguably the Eredivisie’s most influential midfielder.
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