Why Arsenal should reignite their interest in Cristian Pavon

Back in December 2018, The Sun had claimed that Arsenal were interested in signing Argentina and Boca Juniors winger Cristian Pavon.

The report also claimed that Unai Emery is a fan of the 23-year-old winger and that he wanted to sign him in January. The move eventually fell through after Boca Juniors rejected the Gunners’ initial bid of £27m at the start of the year.

Pavon made his debut before the age of 18 with CA Talleres. After a short and successful loan spell with CA Colon, he moved to Boca Juniors in 2015. He was a key member of the attacking line-up which won three first division titles and was also voted the best player of the 2017/18 season.

The 23-year-old’s performances then earned him a place in Jorge Sampaoli’s Argentina squad for the World Cup in Russia. He also showed his qualities in the World Cup.

After failing to move to the Premier League, Pavon moved on a loan deal to the USA and is currently plying his trade with LA Galaxy. He made 13 appearances for them, in which he scored 4 times and provided 6 assists as his side finished 5^th in the MLS Western Conference table.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are in a poor run of form and won just one out of their last 7 matches before heading into the international break. Despite their defensive woes, Emery needs to strengthen other areas too and this is where Pavon would be a great signing.

Pavon is considered to be a tricky, right-footed winger who can operate on either flank and is proficient at scoring goals. With only two established right-wingers at Emery’s disposal – Nicolas Pepe and Reiss Nelson, Arsenal should reignite their interest in the Argentine.

The Argentine showed his class while playing for LA Galaxy, thus earning him praise from teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish striker claimed that Pavon was too good for the MLS and that he would not be there for a long time.

In the 2019 MLS season, Pavon has enjoyed an average of 77.4% passing accuracy. He also has an average of 2.8 shots, 2.4 key passes and 2.7 dribbles per game according to whoscored. Pavon’s stats look to be impressive and he could make an impact if he comes to the Premier League.

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Verdict

Emery must take necessary steps to see that Pavon joins his attacking ranks, as he would add depth to their squad. Pavon also has an experience of playing at the international level, earning 11 caps for Argentina.

At 23, Pavon would surely like to take his game forward and Emery should go all out for the exciting youngster who seems to meet the expectations of the fans and the team wherever he has played.