Arsenal fans want club to sign Ajax wonderkid after Wednesday display

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Holland were beaten 4-2 by Turkey last night but despite a drab performance from Frank de Boer’s team, Arsenal fans were desperately impressed with midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.

The Dutch were abysmal for a large part of last night’s contest, with Burak Yilmaz firing in a scintillating hat-trick and Hakan Calhanoglu scoring for the hosts.

Holland’s goals came through Davy Klaasen and Luuk de Jong but a performance of this nature will undoubtedly set the alarm bells ringing.

Gravenberch came on for the final eight minutes of the contest, collecting his first cap in the process.

The Ajax academy graduate is widely viewed as one of Europe’s brightest young talents and his midfield qualities have really caught the eye.

At 18, the maestro has played 36 games for Ajax during 2020/21, scoring four goals and registering six assists, often featuring in a conventional midfield role.

Despite only making a brief cameo last night, Arsenal fans were in no doubt as to whether or not the club should be making a move to sign him in the summer.

It has to be said, the prospects of him moving to the Emirates Stadium do seem like a long shot, to say the very least.

With all due respect to the Gunners, they aren’t likely to be in the Champions League next season.

Gravenberch will attract the attention of Europe’s very best teams when the time does come for him to leave Ajax and that could scupper any Arsenal plans.

Not having Champions League football is likely to hold Mikel Arteta back a little bit, especially when it comes to attracting the stellar players in world football.

Future

The wonderkid looks set for a brilliant career and for now, perhaps his development will be best served with Ajax.

He is playing each week and is clearly getting better with the more matches he plays for the Dutch champions.

Arsenal will hope to be able to attract some real quality during the summer as they look to rid themselves of their current inconsistencies.

Going into the international break, the Gunners are ninth in the Premier League and face a fight to play in Europe next season.

Arteta does seem to have the club on the right track and he will want to continue his squad rebuilding strategy in the summer.

Praise

Dutch legend Ronald de Boer has previously singled out Gravenberch.

During an interview in January 2020, he told Football Oranje: “He has done well. He has surpassed both Marin and Alvarez. That says something.

“De Ligt might have been an exception at his age, but Gravenberch has unrivalled qualities.”

Following last night’s game, Arsenal supporters are seemingly in no mind as to who they’d love to sign in an ideal world in the summer.

Prising the £50,000-a-week Gravenberch away from Ajax might be nothing more than a pipedream.

In the eyes of Arsenal supporters, however, that shouldn’t stop the club from trying.

Here is what the Gunners fan base was saying after the youngster made a cameo for Holland last night.

https://twitter.com/LostBoy5314/status/1374842428667146252

https://twitter.com/_InvincibleFred/status/1374786208719589376

https://twitter.com/NickGeo15_/status/1374791848015826944