Arsenal should scout ‘outstanding’ £7m midfielder, kept Lucas Moura in his pocket yesterday – TBR View

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With Arsenal having won the FA Cup and qualified for the Europa League, the future is looking bright at the Emirates Stadium under Mikel Arteta.

However, with a busy season coming up where Arsenal will be competing on four fronts, it’s important for the Gunners to bolster their ranks.

One area where Arsenal could do with strengthening is their midfield, given Dani Ceballos’ future is unclear, as is that of Lucas Torreira, while Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi have been rendered surplus to requirements.

On Saturday, an incredibly talented young midfielder put in a great display for his side against the Gunners’ rivals Tottenham Hotspur, being introduced in the second half and keeping Lucas Moura in his pocket for much of their time on the pitch.

That midfielder is Flynn Downes, a 21-year-old who has come through the Ipswich academy and has been tipped for a bright future in the game.

Despite his young age, Downes has made 74 competitive first-team appearances for the East Anglian side, registering three goals, and is one of the first names on Paul Lambert’s team sheet.

Arsenal were actually said to be interested in him earlier this year, according to Chronicle Live, who also claimed fellow Premier League side Newcastle were eyeing the £7million-rated player.

Matt Holland, who made over 300 appearances for Ipswich, told the official club website about Downes back in December: “He’s getting some attention now and I can understand why.

“I’ve known Flynn for quite a while. My son did some training with the Academy here and I did come coaching and straight away Flynn caught my eye.

“He was only 10, 11 years old then but he looked as though he had the right temperament and attitude to go a long way, as well as the ability of course.

“He has proved that and this season he has looked outstanding… I’ll whisper it but if I was a manager he would be the player I’d look to sign. He’s that good.”

Downes came on in the second half of the Tottenham friendly, with Ipswich already three goals down, and instantly improved his side, making the midfield much more balanced and resolute.

Here is what some Ipswich fans were saying during and after the game:

https://twitter.com/itfcnath/status/1297194104363810816

https://twitter.com/NoContextITFC/status/1297194791084732416

Obviously the jump from League One to the Premier League is a big one, but given how well he did in his 45-minute showing against Spurs and how highly these Ipswich fans rate him, he might just be worth the gamble.