Last season, after a string of impressive performances, a Spanish newspaper Sport compared Sevilla’s Steven N’Zonzi to Patrick Vieira. The comparison was not hyperbolic; instead it was a fitting compliment for a player that had, in all his reserved brilliance, taken La Liga somewhat by surprise.
It wasn’t long ago that the towering Frenchman was considered a solid, if slightly gangly and awkward, member of the Stoke squad, nothing spectacular and certainly not considered worthy of the public elevation he has received since.
At Sevilla, though, N’Zonzi has emerged as one of the best players in his position. Now that player, according to his agent, wants to leave, and he’s not likely to be short of suitors. “The truth is that Steven wants to leave,” his representative told Estadio Deportivo. “Everybody at Sevilla knows that, the president and the technical staff are aware of it and we hope he will be sold.”
Comparisons with Vieira may be ringing in the ears of one Arsene Wenger, who is said to be an admirer of N’Zonzi. And it’s easy to see why. Arsenal have long been searching for a midfield general, the kind that can combine a sense of assertive, powerful dominance with tactical and technical prowess, as Vieira did so well.
Those traits may be present in some of their current midfielders; the passing range of Granit Xhaka, the tenacity of Francis Coquelin. But the complete package has proven continually elusive.
Now, though, a player that seems to have slipped under the radar to an extent, whose ability has taken until the age of 28 to fully manifest itself, could be available. Arsenal have been linked with a move for N’Zonzi, a signing that could bring an entirely different element to their team.
For years the Gunners have been accused of fragility, both mental and physical. Power and presence were, in the eyes of many, sacrificed for guile and creativity. That is true to an extent, although the arrivals of Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny have brought some much-needed combativeness.
Still, there remains an absence of a truly dominant presence in the middle. N’Zonzi would change that, emphatically. At 6 foot 3, his physique is imposing, and his ability to cover such large areas of the pitch with long, purposeful strides is a rare one. His manager at Sevilla last season, Jorge Sampaoli, called him an “octopus”.
But don’t assume that the former Blackburn man is simply a destroyer. The tactically astute Sampaoli discovered a new side to his game, one that is often still underappreciated by those that have not seen him play with any regularity. N’Zonzi has proven that he is a more than astute passer of the ball, and equally adept at protecting it when in possession.
Like Vieira in his prime, he is more often seen starting a move than ending one. But when he does the latter, it can be more spectacular, more noticeable. Sevilla’s former sporting director, Monchi, claimed that the perception of N’Zonzi is “of an eminently physical player, fight and strength, when although it’s true he has those qualities his principle characteristic is his use of the ball and technical quality”.
That technical quality would be imperative for Arsenal, who appear to be unwilling to shift from their identity of possession-based, stylish football. N’Zonzi would certainly not be a hindrance in that regard – in fact he would be a notable upgrade on both Coquelin and Elneny.
Then there’s the undeniable physical aspect. Chelsea and Tottenham were the Premier League’s most balanced, well-rounded sides last season, and it’s no coincidence that they boasted the likes of Nemanja Matic, Victor Wanyama and Moussa Dembele in their midfields.
N’Zonzi’s sometimes loping, unorthodox playing style, his history of Blackburn and Stoke, Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis, mean that he is not often mentioned amongst the supposed midfielding elite. He has, however, proved on countless occasions for Sevilla that he is capable of everything that is required of a holding midfielder.
There is an elegance about N’Zonzi’s movements that belie his stature; he appears to effortlessly glide through midfield until he has either won the ball back or successfully recycled possession. He showed as much against Arsenal in the Emirates Cup this pre-season, even getting on the scoresheet with a superb left-footed strike as Sevilla emerged as 2-1 winners.
Whether Wenger, watching on from the sidelines, has been suitably impressed enough to pursue the Frenchman remains to be seen. What is clear, though, is that N’Zonzi’s arrival would significantly improve Arsenal’s midfield, and potentially bring to an end the incessant complaints of a lack of robustness. Even better, it could all be done by meeting N’Zonzi’s release clause of €40 million, a comparatively measly fee when looking at some of the dealings in the Premier League this summer.
