Tottenham are reportedly leading Arsenal in the race to sign Ryan Fraser this summer, with the Scottish international keen on joining Spurs.
According to an exclusive by Football Insider, Tottenham have overtaken Arsenal in the chase for Ryan Fraser. The Scottish winger, who is set to leave Bournemouth in the summer transfer window as a free agent, is keen on joining Spurs ahead of other suitors.
Fraser has enjoyed a fruitful seven-year spell with Bournemouth, having joined the Cherries from Aberdeen in 2013. Over the last couple of years, though, the 26-year-old has been coveted by some of the best clubs in England, with Arsenal, in particular, tailing him for the longest time.
Arsenal were, in fact, in pursuit of Fraser last summer as well, following a stunning 2018-19 season that saw him notch up 7 goals and 14 assists in 38 Premier League games. A move didn’t go through last year and Fraser has subsequently endured an underwhelming campaign, with just 1 goal and 4 assists all season.
However, with the player set to become a free agent this summer, interest in him has skyrocketed, despite a 2019-20 season to forget. Arsenal are still in pursuit of the Scottish international, but have now been joined by north London rivals Tottenham.
Tottenham did sign a winger in January, with Steven Bergwijn making the switch from PSV. But, it is expected that Erik Lamela could be sold this summer, with Jose Mourinho not fully convinced by the Argentine. If Lamela does leave, Fraser would be a viable target for Spurs, joining Bergwijn, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura as options to play out wide.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are looking at both wingers and strikers ahead of the summer, with the future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being unclear. It has been reported that Arsenal have ended contract talks with Aubameyang and are ready to cash in on him. In such a scenario, signing a top notch replacement is imperative.
Fraser, to that effect, would not be a like-for-like replacement for Aubameyang as, although he will add to Mikel Arteta’s creative options. Arsenal, though,will face an uphill task in pursuit of Fraser anyway, with the 26-year-old looking to make the switch to Tottenham instead of the other suitors interested in him.
That Fraser will not cost a single penny makes him an attractive option for both Tottenham and Arsenal. As things stand, though, it appears as if Tottenham are set to prevail in the race to sign the Scot in the summer transfer window. As for the Gunners, they will have to set their sights elsewhere in search of an attacking signing, with Odsonne Edouard being an economical option.
