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Arsenal reportedly want to sign attacker Charlie Nicholas hailed as a ‘creative, natural talent’

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A player currently being linked with Arsenal was previously described as a “little pocket dynamo” blessed with “creative, natural talent” by Gunners legend Charlie Nicholas.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are believed to be one of three Premier League sides, along with Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, interested in the services of Bournemouth ace Ryan Fraser, according to 90Min.

The 26-year-old winger joined the Cherries in January 2013 from Aberdeen and has made 207 appearances for the south coast club, claiming 24 goals and 33 assists in that time, according to Transfermarkt.

(Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

Fraser was especially impressive last season for Bournemouth, registering seven goals and 14 assists in the Premier League.

While this season hasn’t been quite on the same level as last term – one goal and four assists – there still appears to be plenty of interest in him, particularly as his contract is up at the end of the season.

According to 90min, Arsenal have reignited their interest from last summer, while Tottenham and Everton are also contemplating approaches for the Scotland international.

Nicholas wrote of his compatriot on Sky Sports in October 2018: “What I like is that he is a little pocket dynamo. He is quite an old-fashioned type of player – what we used to call a tanner ba’ – from the days when Scottish players were very popular. He has a little bit of that.

“He has obviously put a lot of muscle on and built himself up to be able to take the knocks and kicks that come his way.

“When he gets the ball and is allowed to run at people and be expressive, that is when he is at his finest. It is nice to see a Scot with this kind of creative, natural talent that we don’t obviously have enough of at international level.”

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Fraser may have not had the best of seasons this time round, but with his contract expiring at the end of the season, the £27,000-a-week ace (Spotrac) would be a relatively inexpensive gamble for Arsenal, Spurs and Everton alike.

Should he rediscover the form which saw him move into the spotlight last season, he would be an incredibly useful asset to Mikel Arteta considering the small outlay, and given he has extensive Premier League and Championship experience, he wouldn’t need getting up to scratch with the English game.

And considering that Nicholas, a legend for Arsenal and Scotland, rates his compatriot highly as a footballer, it’s something to also be taken into consideration by the Gunners fans regarding his talent and potential.