Arsenal face tough competition to sign Stade Rennais midfielder Lovro Majer with FC Barcelona and Real Madrid amongst other European clubs interested.

With injuries to Mohamed Elneny, Arsenal have a lack of options in the midfield. Croatia in recent years have produced some exceptional modern midfielders. These midfielders are more than usually blessed with an excellent work ethic which complements their technique and versatile skill set.

Arsenal sent scouts to watch the player dubbed “next Luka Modric” as the £44m youngster impressed in international friendlies.

While the Gunners never made any concrete efforts to sign Douglas Luiz on summer transfer deadline day. The main idea was to bring someone to cover for Thomas Partey, who has struggled with injuries since arriving at the club. Majer’s contract with Rennes runs until the summer of 2026 and is rated at over £40m.

Player Profile

Born in 1998, Lovro Majer was just 18 years old when he made his top-flight and European debuts. He started his professional career at hometown club Lokomotiva Zagreb, making his debut in a Europa League qualifier in 2016. He scored 14 goals for Lokomotiva in the 2017-18 season (stats via transfermarkt), earning a €2.5m move to Dinamo Zagreb.

His form there saw him get compared to another ex-Dinamo player, Luka Modric, though it didn’t come immediately. His performances throughout the 2020-21 campaign helped Dinamo cruise to the title, eight points clear of their nearest challengers.

Majer received his first senior cap for Croatia when he was given time off the bench against Mexico in 2017.

Both the form and his adaptability attracted attention. Teams noted Majer’s versatility and wanted to secure a deal for him. Lovro Majer got his first big move in the summer window of the 2021/22 season when he made a switch to Stade Rennais in Ligue 1.

Although he had a difficult start to his tenure at Rennes, Majer turned up the quality as the season went on. He finished with six goals and eight assists in 29 league appearances (stats via transfermarkt).  He also impressed in the Europa League, earning an assist as Dinamo stunned Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16 before falling to eventual champions Villarreal in the quarter-finals.

Lovro Majer is usually deployed as a central midfielder but can make deep runs and contribute to the attack, similar to what Martin Odegaard in those roles, alongside Emile Smith Rowe.

This season, Lovro Majer’s stats reflect his capability to fulfil the 8/10 hybrid role or the mezzala role for the best managers and the best teams. Both Majer and Modric have won three Croatian top-flight titles with Zagreb, but the former still has some way to go before he can reach the Real Madrid legend’s heights.

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Verdict

The Gunners reportedly watched the Ligue 1 midfielder in action against Denmark in the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League. Their scouts’ presence has increased the speculations around the player, with Arsenal reportedly considering making an approach. Moreover, a transfer for Majer will also depend on whether Arsenal will go back for Tielemans or Luiz in the next windows.

From a profile standpoint, he could be someone that younger players a chance to express themselves.

Arsenal currently sit at the top of the Premier League having only lost one game so far this season and winning the rest. Despite this, there’s no doubt that they will still need reinforcements over the next 12 months if they want to continue to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool at the top end of the league.

The 24-year-old Croatian is making a big name for himself in with Rennes, following his move from Dinamo Zagreb last year. But it seems his stint in will be a short one with the Ligue 1 side ready to cash in on the player for a vastly-inflated profit. Indeed, having cost them £10.7m (€12m) in the summer of 2021, they are now willing to sell him for four times their investment.