As Arsenal’s transfer plans for the summer begin to gather pace, one player linked with the club was in fine form in the Europa League final last night.
Perhaps unfortunately from an Arsenal fan point of view, former player Granit Xhaka wasn’t able to lift the trophy with his new side Bayer Leverkusen.
Xabi Alonso’s team were outclassed by Atalanta, who suffocated their opposition through their high press.
Of course, the game will have probably been used as a scouting tool for several top clubs around Europe, showcasing some understated talents.
Former Premier League man Ademola Lookman was the star of the show, but he wasn’t the only Atalanta player to excel.
And in a summer in which Mikel Arteta is known to want to add a midfielder, perhaps a versatile profile who can dovetail with Declan Rice in a number of positions, one performance may have caught Arsenal’s eye.
Brazilian midfielder Ederson was in tremendous form, a player who’s been linked with Arsenal previously and is thought to be a favourite of Edu Gaspar.
Owen Hargreaves convinced Arsenal target Ederson will be on the move this summer
Had it not been for Lookman’s historic hattrick, Ederson may well have won player of the match.
But either way, it was a performance that didn’t go unnoticed by TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves who was commentating on the game live.
Hargreaves was blown away by the £30m-rated Brazilian, and thought he was like having two players in the middle – a compliment often given to N’Golo Kante in the past.
He said: “Ederson, 24-years-old, someone is going to pick him up by the way.
“This is a conveyor belt of talent, selling players and they’ve done an amazing job with him, he looks tailor made for anybody’s midfield, he’s like two players in there.”
Of course, it remains to be seen if Arteta and Edu will make a concerted effort to chase the Atalanta man this summer, but Arsenal could certainly do a lot worse.
Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also said to be very keen on Ederson, who will certainly not be short of suitors should he become available.
All that being said, it already seems very clear who Arsenal’s first signing of the summer should be, and he’s already playing in England.