Transfer Target: Clement Grenier

Scouting Profile

Name: Clement Grenier
Age: 22 (07/01/1991)
Nationality: French
Position: Attacking Midfield
Current Team: Olympique Lyon

Scouting Report

Arsenal certainly need to bring in players to bolster a fragile defence and blunt attacking core, but an area which needs little work, other than the addition of a defensively minded player, is the midfield.

Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky, Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s newly crowned Player of the Season Santi Cazorla make up a strong and highly creative group of midfielders.

This has not stopped Arsenal being linked with Cesc Fabregas and Clement Grenier in recent weeks, two players who are not known for their defensive qualities.

22-year-old Grenier was close to a move to Nice last season, thankfully for both Lyon and Grenier the deal broke down and the French midfielder cemented his place in Lyon’s first team and as one of their most important players.

Injuries to Yoann Gourcuff, Lyon’s version of Arsenal’s infinitely injured Abou Diaby, allowed Grenier to flourish in Ligue 1 and the Europa League, ending the season with a call up to the French national team.

In Ligue 1 last year Grenier scored seven goals and assisted a further six times, add to that another three assists in the Europa league and it gives an indicator of how creative the young Frenchman is.

His high amount of goals scored and assisted is thanks to his high amounts of shots per game (SPG), 1.6, and his consistency of key passes per game, also 1.6. Compared to fellow Lyon players, he ranks fourth behind two strikers and a winger for SPG and second in terms of key passes.

His high amount of shots puts him in the same range as Arsenal’s Lukas Podolski (1.6 shots per game) and ranks between Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey in terms of key passes (1.9 and 1.3 respectively).

Of course, the calibre of player in Ligue 1 is not the same standard of the Premier League, but the statistics point to Grenier being a promising creative and attacking player.

One point of concern is his passing in general, with a pass success rate of 74% this is not an area where he excels and may require some work to fit into the fluent passing style which Arsene Wenger’s side plays.

That said, Grenier’s main selling point is his stunning ability at taking set-pieces, particularly direct free kicks and would easily become Arsenal’s first choice at free kicks if he were to make the switch.

Arsene Wenger compared Grenier to Samir Nasri a key member of Arsenal’s team before controversially making a switch to Manchester City in 2011, despite rubbing Arsenal fans the wrong way, Nasri is a quality player and the comparison is certainly a glowing compliment.

Final Thoughts

Clement Grenier is a talented, young, French player and fits the Arsenal philosophy down to the ground, however, the shifting financial firepower of the Gunners means that fans now demand established marquee additions to the squad. Grenier is not this.

He is heavily hinted at an imminent move to North London, telling a French media outlet: “”I have more or less made a decision about which club I want to join,”

“I have made the choice for sporting reasons above all. Arsenal? It could well be them.”

Grenier would be a solid signing as well as undoubtedly strengthening a side that has been ravaged by injuries in recent seasons, and as a second half substitute Grenier’s creative flair and confident shooting could make the difference when pushing for a win.

He has accepted that a move to a bigger club means there is fierce competition for places, and his hunger for success and professional attitude certainly fits the profile of player Arsenal should be signing.

Rated at around the £7 million mark, a future France international, free kick ace and potential midfield master would be an absolute steal for that price, however fans are craving a Fabregas, Rooney or Fellaini, and not yet another French youngster.

(All statistics from the brilliant http://www.WhoScored.com)