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Football London
Football London
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Layth Yousif

Exclusive: Jack Wilshere names the Arsenal players who would benefit from £25m Ryan Fraser deal

Arsenal have been busy this week ramping up their transfer business in the summer transfer window - but a former Gunner has given the club a target they simply have to sign in his view.

Not content with opening the bidding for Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha and Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney, director of football Raul Sanllehi landed Brazilian teenage attacking starlet Gabriel Martinelli.

Yet, there is still much work to do in terms of strengthening the Gunners complement of attacking forwards - and the popular Jack Wilshere agrees.

Wilshere, who has spent the summer busting a gut to be fit for his new side West Ham's start to the 2019/20 Premier League campaign, still has a soft spot for the club he spent 17 years as man and boy with.

The 26-year-old offers the ideal candidate for Arsenal boss Unai Emery to sign - and Wilshere has the inside track on the player who could be the solution to the problem position of a consistent wideman.

Wilshere is of course referring to Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser, who has been on the north Londoners' radar for a while - and knows a thing or two about the former Aberdeen man having spent time with him while he was on loan at the south coast outfit back in 2017.

The £25million-rated winger rejected a new contract with the Cherries last year, leaving him with just a single season remaining on his current deal and Wilshere is convinced Fraser would do a great job for Emery.

Wishere spoke exclusively to football.london at an NCF Elites coaching session, which offers training for boys and girls alike, with loyal Arsenal servants Paul Johnson and Nicky Gardner as part of the expert team. 

"I think Ryan Fraser would be a great signing. I know him well. He's probably the hardest working player I've ever worked with," he said.

"He's got an exceptional attitude. On the pitch he runs around all day - he's the first one on the pitch in the morning and the last one off it.

"His physical attributes have really come on. He's really improved that side of his game. He's really come on.

"Technically he's really come on. You can see that by all the chances he created last year. You can see that by the large number of assists he got last season. That's credit to him and credit to Eddie [Howe]. Eddie put a lot of trust in him and it's been rewarded.

"He's nurtured him and he's turned him into a top player - and if he goes to Arsenal I wish him all the luck in the world as he's a great guy and a great player."

The former Aberdeen wideman scored eight goals last term while providing 15 assists for his teammates, an assist tally only bettered by Chelsea's Eden Hazard

Fraser made 42 appearances in red and black last term, helping to boost the south coast minnows to 14th place in the world's richest top flight.

The Gunners have been linked with a number of widemen including Yannick Carrasco but Fraser is understood to be Emery's preferred choice.

The Arsenal head coach needs to get this decision right on who to sign after Denis Suarez's disappointing loan spell from Barcelona.

The 25-year-old who played under Emery at Sevilla, failed to impress during his time at the Emirates, with many fans labelling him the worst loan signing in the club's history.

With the club having two top quality strikers in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alex Lacazette, if Sanllehi can land a winger with a proven track record of assists - such as Fraser - the deadly duo up front could reap the benefits.

Fraser could also dovetail well with creative playmaker Mesut Ozil, and Wilshere agrees.

"Ryan would be the ideal candidate to load the bullets for Aubameyang and Lacazette to fire up front," he said.

"Imagine him and Ozil in the side. Imagine the number of chances they would create for the strikers.

"I always say Ozil is one of the best players I've ever seen and I've played with and worked with.

"Imagine if Arsenal had Fraser to add to the quality that Ozil can provide? They would be some team. The fans would love it."

Jack Wilshere NCF Elites provides talented players the chance to represent England at the world's largest youth tournament, the Gothia Youth World Cup in Sweden, which features around 1700 teams from 80 nations playing 4,500 games on 110 fields.

For more on Jack Wilshere's NCF Elites click here.

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