Sport nationPUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO
Not a lot is known about Brazilian midfielder Bitello, but the same was true of others Arsenal have signed from that part of the world.
bitello-gremio-arsenal-target
Arsenal have done well to strengthen their squad early in the transfer window, with Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber soon set to follow Kai Havertz in signing on the dotted line in big-money transfers, but the Premier League heavyweights also appear to be on the lookout for a bargain or two
Who are Arsenal signing?
According to Radio Guaiba reporter Rafael Pfeiffer (via Brazilian outlet Correio do Povo), the Gunners sent a representative to watch young midfielder Bitello in action for Gremio against Bahia on Wednesday.
It is claimed that Arsenal are readying a bid for the 23-year-old, who is valued at around £8.5m, and Gremio are already on the lookout for a replacement as they accept he will soon depart.
Should Arsenal indeed agree on a fee, Bitello would likely become Arsenal’s fourth signing of the summer after Havertz, Rice and Timber, with deals for the latter two close to being made official.
Who is Gremio midfielder Bitello?
Bitello can play in a number of positions, but it is in central midfield that he has excelled.
The Brazilian, who has yet to be capped at senior level by his country, has seven goals and four assists in 33 appearances for Gremio this season.
As per FBref, Bitello is just as strong defensively as he is in terms of the attacking metrics, as he ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders across the eight leagues most similar to Brasileiro Serie A in quality for interceptions per 90 minutes (1.12)
The former Cascavel player is also in the top 5% for blocks per 90 (1.59), top 14% for tackles per 90 (1.91) and top 5% for pass-completion percentage (81.9), showing he is also capable of linking play.
While Bitello may be unknown to many outside of South America, Arsenal have had plenty of good experiences when it comes to buying similar players from Brazil.
The likes of Edu, Sylvinho, Gilberto Silva and, more recently, Gabriel Martinelli have all joined the Gunners from Brazilian clubs, with each making an impact in North London.
Gilberto may not be a like-for-like comparison for Bitello in that he was a defensive midfielder, yet there are other similarities to be made. For example, Bitello turns 24 next January – hardly an up-and-coming gem – but Gilberto was himself 25 when making his Premier League debut.
Bitello has never played outside of Brazil, which was also the case for Gilberto, while the latter also spent time on Gremio’s books – albeit after his time at Arsenal had come to an end.
But Bitello is his own man, and it may well be that he challenges for a first-team spot should he arrive this summer.
As pointed out by football writer Johannes Skiba, Bitello is a “flexible” player who is good at winning the ball and also strong in terms of passing, suggesting he could come in handy for Mikel Arteta.
Many Brazilian gems have tried and failed to make an impact in the Premier League, but if Arsenal’s success rate is anything to go by, there is no such risk of that being the case with Bitello.
PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO
Not a lot is known about Brazilian midfielder Bitello, but the same was true of others Arsenal have signed from that part of the world.
bitello-gremio-arsenal-target
Arsenal have done well to strengthen their squad early in the transfer window, with Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber soon set to follow Kai Havertz in signing on the dotted line in big-money transfers, but the Premier League heavyweights also appear to be on the lookout for a bargain or two
Who are Arsenal signing?
According to Radio Guaiba reporter Rafael Pfeiffer (via Brazilian outlet Correio do Povo), the Gunners sent a representative to watch young midfielder Bitello in action for Gremio against Bahia on Wednesday.
It is claimed that Arsenal are readying a bid for the 23-year-old, who is valued at around £8.5m, and Gremio are already on the lookout for a replacement as they accept he will soon depart.
Should Arsenal indeed agree on a fee, Bitello would likely become Arsenal’s fourth signing of the summer after Havertz, Rice and Timber, with deals for the latter two close to being made official.
Who is Gremio midfielder Bitello?
Bitello can play in a number of positions, but it is in central midfield that he has excelled.
The Brazilian, who has yet to be capped at senior level by his country, has seven goals and four assists in 33 appearances for Gremio this season.
As per FBref, Bitello is just as strong defensively as he is in terms of the attacking metrics, as he ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders across the eight leagues most similar to Brasileiro Serie A in quality for interceptions per 90 minutes (1.12)
The former Cascavel player is also in the top 5% for blocks per 90 (1.59), top 14% for tackles per 90 (1.91) and top 5% for pass-completion percentage (81.9), showing he is also capable of linking play.
While Bitello may be unknown to many outside of South America, Arsenal have had plenty of good experiences when it comes to buying similar players from Brazil.
The likes of Edu, Sylvinho, Gilberto Silva and, more recently, Gabriel Martinelli have all joined the Gunners from Brazilian clubs, with each making an impact in North London.
Gilberto may not be a like-for-like comparison for Bitello in that he was a defensive midfielder, yet there are other similarities to be made. For example, Bitello turns 24 next January – hardly an up-and-coming gem – but Gilberto was himself 25 when making his Premier League debut.
Bitello has never played outside of Brazil, which was also the case for Gilberto, while the latter also spent time on Gremio’s books – albeit after his time at Arsenal had come to an end.
But Bitello is his own man, and it may well be that he challenges for a first-team spot should he arrive this summer.
As pointed out by football writer Johannes Skiba, Bitello is a “flexible” player who is good at winning the ball and also strong in terms of passing, suggesting he could come in handy for Mikel Arteta.
Many Brazilian gems have tried and failed to make an impact in the Premier League, but if Arsenal’s success rate is anything to go by, there is no such risk of that being the case with Bitello.
Sport nation
