Aouar the enabler? All in good time...

“Like Ramsey, but quicker and better control.”

“Close control and weighted pass like Nasri, Rosicky, even a raw Cesc.”

“Maybe a leaner better version of Nasri”.

“Prime Jack Wilshere”

In a question on Twitter asking which Arsenal players Houssem Aouar was most comparable to, it was apparent that the player, to the uninitiated, was a hybrid of the club’s greatest modern era midfielders. As the Gunners’ interest in the player has gathered speed, there has been no shortage of hype around the Lyon midfielder, who made just his 100th appearance for the French club on Sunday.

Hyperbolic? Probably. Yet it is difficult to escape the conclusion that Arsenal’s midfield is crying out for a player of Aouar’s profile. He is effective at breaking the lines through his passing and dribbling, aided by his impeccable control and bursts of acceleration, and has an intuitive ability to absorb pressure and withstand the press. Furthermore, he is versatile, playing in a variety of positions across midfield, which would enable him to play effectively in a 3-4-3, Arteta’s current preference, but also a 4-3-3, the Spaniard’s longer-term ambition. His ability to play in the former as a number 6 is partly thanks to his work-rate and defensive attributes, two of the more overlooked aspects of his game. Aouar’s unquestionable talents have drawn admirers from all over, not least Pep Guardiola, who described the youngster as “incredible” following Aouar’s stand out performance for Lyon against his Manchester City side in a 2018 Champions League tie.

There is clearly lots to be excited about, but the capacity of the social media echo chambers to foster dubious narratives is something we should all be mindful of. Within these deep, reverberant cacophonies, there is a tendency to engage with opinions that reflect one’s own, as well as those that one wants to hear. This does not mean that these opinions are necessarily right. Our shared desire for Aouar to be an instant hit produces timelines inundated with compilations and eye-catching stats, each of which convince us further of his greatness, while the slightest semblance of scepticism is conveniently brushed aside or roundly denounced as drivel.

We would all benefit, however, from poking our head above the parapet from time to time and facing up to the more uncomfortable truths that lie beneath the player’s precocious talent. What compilations of his excellent performances against the likes of Manchester City and Juventus fail to acknowledge is a widely held view in France that he struggles with consistency. Julien Huet, a commentator for BFM Lyon, has suggested “he needs a big game to shine in”, that he has struggled to replicate his Champions League performances over the course of the season. Furthermore, his development, or lack of, since emerging on France’s football scene as a 19-year-old, has led some to question whether he will ever reach the heights expected of him. These things considered, along with the fact that he is an uncapped 22 year old, about to embark on a potentially tricky adaptation period in a new country, learning a new language and playing in a notoriously challenging league that will bring with it less time on the ball, greater physicality and sky-high expectations, there is a very real possibility that Aouar will not (immediately) be the missing piece of the jigsaw.

And that is okay.

While the biggest talking point in the league defeat to Liverpool was the need to acquire a midfielder in the Aouar mould, it also served as a much-needed reminder that there is some way to go before Arsenal can compete with the best. As exciting as Arteta’s revolution is, it is important to remember it is still very much in its infancy, and it is going to require more than Aouar before his blueprint is unleashed.

Arsenal fans would do well to look at Monday night’s opponents for inspiration. Of the frighteningly effective Liverpool machine of today, only Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson and Joe Gomez can claim to be regular starters and on the club’s books when Klopp arrived in October 2015. It took Klopp two years to form the backbone of his title-winning team, and an additional one before they would mount a genuine title challenge. In other words, the hallmarks of Klopp’s success were developed over time, through an 85% overhaul of a squad to better execute his philosophy.

While there is a chance that Aouar sets the league alight from day one, there is also enough evidence to suggest that he might not. He would be joining an Arsenal side in transition, with problems that extend far beyond a shortfall of creativity. The ‘Aouar as the unequivocal, singular and immediate solution to Arsenal’s creative deficiencies’ narrative is not only disingenuous, but unfair on a player who will need time to adapt, as well as additional players around him who too fit Arteta’s philosophy. The cries of “fraud” when he struggles to make an impact at Turf Moor are all too predictable.

Aouar in Arsenal colours is right to get fans excited, but it should excite in the wider context of Arteta’s project. Instead of being viewed as the immediate solution, he should be seen for what he is in reality - a young, supremely talented, progressive signing with a sky-high ceiling, but far from the finished product. Aouar is just one piece of the Arteta jigsaw and needs to be judged in two or three years, not after six games. The sooner we stop expecting the French Cesc Fàbregas, the better.