With the 2024-25 Premier League season set to kick off this weekend, we sat down with two time PL winner and Arsenal ‘Invincible’, Lauren.
The Cameroonian right-back spoke about Arsenal’s transfer targets, outlining what Victor Osimhen will bring to the team if he joins as well as being full of praise for another target, Mikel Merino.
Lauren also praised his former teammate and current Arsenal sporting director, Edu Gaspar, for the work he’s done with the squad.
Osimhen a top player who would bring about a fantastic headache for Arteta
Lauren spoke about the in-demand Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, saying that he’s a top quality player who excels in manoeuvring through low blocks. Adding him to the side will cause selection headaches for Arteta, Lauren says, but he also remarks that it is a fantastic luxury to have.
“First of all, Osimhen is a top player. When you score so many goals in the Serie A, where defenders are very tight. They play low blocks and you have to find space to score goals. He’s done that and he is a top player and he’s been scoring goals for Napoli every season.
“If the club signs him, he’d be a very good addition. What I believe is if he comes to the club, it is a fantastic headache for Arteta (to pick Osimhen, Havertz or Gabriel Jesus).”
The Cameroonian adds that Osimhen is different to the attacking options that the Gunners currently have but the Nigerian will also have to adapt to Arteta’s demanding style which requires great technique up front and also a high work-rate so as to press opposing defenders and defend when needed.
“The thing is that Osimhen is a different player to what we currently have. We know Gabriel Jesus is a fantastic player. When you play for Arteta, you need to go and press the centre-backs, you need to press the full-backs, you need to come and receive the ball. You need to have the technical ability to play one-touch passes and connect with Ødegaard, Rice, Saka. And you also need to have the work-rate to do the defensive duties that Arteta will demand of you.
“So, I believe that if they sign Osimhen, it’s because they’ve been seeing that he’ll be capable of connecting with the technical side of the game and also to have the work-rate needed to defend.
“As a player, he’s very good. He will score goals. I’ve been watching his tapes and he can score goals off set pieces, he can score when the ball is on the side and he can curl it in. He’s very good with his head and also possesses good one-touch finishing inside the box. He’s a top player.”
Mikel Merino for around £25 million would be very good business
The Gunners have also been linked with a move for Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino with a reported price tag of about £25 million. Lauren, who also played for Mallorca and Levante, believes that Merino at the price would be a very good business, considering how inflated transfer fees are in today’s market.
“Absolutely. Nowadays in football, £25 million for a player like Mikel Merino, as per today’s market, is great business. Of course it’s a lot of money but for a player like Merino, who’s been absolutely brilliant.
“I analyse La Liga and he’s an outstanding player. He’s not only the typical holding midfield player, he drops to receive the ball, gets into position from where he can score goals. We saw that in the Copa del Rey against Mallorca, in the Euros where he attacked spaces inside the box. He never loses the ball and he will give a lot if Arsenal go for him. He’s a quality player.”
Onus is on Arteta to manage Saka’s minutes
An issue that has plagued Arsenal and still needs to be addressed fully is finding a cover for Bukayo Saka on the right wing. Lauren agrees that having cover for him is important but also adds that there are players in the squad who can play in that position and that the onus is on Mikel Arteta to manage Saka’s minutes.
“It would be good to have another player there (for Saka). The competitiveness is great but it’s also about giving him some rest. You play for the national team, you play in the league, you play in the Champions League, you play FA Cup, you play so many competitions this year. So you need maybe another player so that Saka can have some rest.
“You have players in the squad who can play on the right in place of Saka. It’s more about how Arteta will design the whole season in order to give the right games so as to get the best out of Saka and also give him rest.”
Edu deserves more credit for raising Arsenal’s level – he’s been absolutely brilliant
The 2000 Olympics gold medalist was full of admiration for the work done by his fellow ‘Invincible’, Edu Gaspar.
The Brazilian has earned plaudits for his work as Arsenal’s sporting director, and Lauren believes he deserves more praise for increasing the value of Arsenal’s players and raising their level.
“I think he’s been brilliant. He’s been brilliant. I talked to him about this a few years back, he hasn’t been given the credit he deserves because one of the key things a sporting director has to do is increase the level of the team.
“Look at the players that were at Arsenal when he took over at the club and the value in the market of the players at the club today. How much they could cost. Saka, Ødegaard, David Raya, Gabriel and Saliba. How much do you think they would cost now?
“When he came to the club he signed those players. He increased the level of the players. If somebody wants to buy Saliba they will have to pay a lot of money and this is the job of the sports leader.
“He has to increase the value of the individual players among the team and he has done that since he came back to the club. He’s been absolutely brilliant.”
