Sunday 22 July 2018

Lazio eyeing Alex Iwobi as Felipe Anderson replacement

Unknown July 22, 2018 FOOTBALL, SOCCER, SPORTS

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport Lazio are interested in signing Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi as a replacement for Felipe Anderson who has recently left the Serie A side for West Ham.

Iwobi could reportedly cost Lazio somewhere in the region of 20 million Euros.

Exciting prospect

22-year-old Iwobi has spent his entire senior and youth career with Arsenal. He made two appearances for Arsenal’s under 18 side before quickly being moved to their under 19 side.

Iwobi made 19 appearances for Arsenal’s under 19’s, in which he scored four and assisted three.

The Nigerian was then moved to Arsenal’s under 23 side, at which point he would go on to play 39 games for them, scoring 12 and assisting four in that time.

This earned Iwobi a call-up to Arsenal’s first team in July of 2015. Since then, Iwobi has played 98 games for Arsenal in all competitions, scoring nine and assisting eight in those games.

Iwobi is also a very versatile winger. He is naturally a left winger, a position he has played 54 times for all of Arsenal’s sides.

However, he can also play right wing, a position he has played 42 times for Arsenal. Iwobi can also fill in at centre attacking midfield and even at centre-forward.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 24: Nacho Monreal of Arsenal and Alex Iwobi celebrate the own goal of Antonio Rudiger of Chelsea during the Carabao Cup Semi-Final Second Leg at Emirates Stadium on January 24, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Alternative targets

While Arsenal fans may be reeling from the prospect of losing such an exciting young talent in the form of Alex Iwobi, both Lazio News 24 and La Gazzetta dello Sport are suggesting that Lazio are looking at several other players to replace Anderson.

One of the names included is Alejandro Darío Gómez of Atalanta. Gomez is 30 years of age meaning he has a lot more experience than Iwobi.

Gomez also already knows the Serie A very well as he has played over 144 games for Atalanta, inducing 33 Serie A games last season, in which he scored six and assisted 12.

So, it does appear that Lazio have a choice between a safe older buy in Gomez or a potential talent in Iwobi who is not proven in Italy.