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According to The Mirror, Ryan Fraser is a summer target for Arsenal having impressed the Gunners with his stellar performances for Bournemouth this season.
The 25-year-old, affectionately nicknamed ‘Wee-man’ by his Cherries teammates, has been a revelation this campaign as he makes the left-flank his own at the Vitality Stadium.
Having struggled to find a consistent end product in previous seasons, the lightning-quick winger has certainly added that to his game in abundance this term, with his contributions ensuring he finally gets the headlines he deserves for his exponential improvement in recent years.
Fraser himself has revealed that he is flattered by the reports linking him with a switch to the Emirates Stadium, an admission that has further intensified speculation regarding his future.
With news of Arsenal’s interest in Fraser in mind, Football FanCast have rounded up a handful of expert opinions on Fraser and what he could bring to north London next season.
Eddie Howe, Bournemouth boss
The Cherries honcho had this to say after the Scotsman netted twice and assisted another in September’s victory over Leicester:
“He can go wherever he wants to go, with his age, attitude, he has a really bright future. The key thing for him is believing how good he is and he’s reinforcing that himself with his goal and performance.”
Howe was rightfully drooling over the diminutive wide-man and tipped him for big things after Bournemouth’s thrilling 4-2 victory over the Foxes.
The former Aberdeen man’s pace terrified the Leicester defence all afternoon and he got what he deserved from a tireless performance by scooping the match ball.
Willie Miller, Aberdeen legend
In light of reports linking Fraser to the Gunners, Dons legend Willie Miller expressed his admiration for a player whom he knew as a youngster in northeast Scotland:
“He is already miles beyond anything I ever earned – even at Bournemouth, let alone Arsenal. But by all accounts, he is still a very down to earth young man. An unassuming, quiet lad who just wants to play football. So I think he could handle a move like that. But obviously it is a big step, it is a big step for anyone.”
Miller spent 17 years at Aberdeen between 1973 and 1990 and is very connected at the club to this day – Fraser stands out in the former defender’s mind, though, as a player he thinks will go on to achieve great things.
The speedster might be short in stature, but Miller thinks that Fraser could cope with the pressures of moving to one of the biggest clubs in England after helping another progress from League One to the top-flight.
Fraser would certainly be in esteemed company at Arsenal and have to work his wee socks off for an extended run in the first-team but he’s got Miller’s backing.
Charlie Nicholas, Sky Sports pundit
Charlie Nicholas waxed lyrical about his compatriot back in October:
“What I like is that he is a little pocket dynamo. He is quite an old-fashioned type of player – what we used to call a tanner ba’ – from the days when Scottish players were very popular. He has a little bit of that. He has obviously put a lot of muscle on and built himself up to be able to take the knocks and kicks that come his way.”
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Indeed, Fraser doesn’t go down as easy as you might think – his low centre of gravity means he rides challenges with ease and this is why a number of defenders have taken to hacking the 7-cap ace down instead.
Unlike some of his counterparts in the Premier League, you will never see the midfielder throw a strop when he’s brought down unfairly – he knows that it’s part and parcel of being one of the most in-form wingers in the league.