Arsenal information: Mikel Arteta’s £50m switch plan as Viktor Gyokeres given ‘terrible’ verdict
Arsenal face Chelsea on Sunday as they look to extend their Premier League lead, with the Gunners already looking towards summer transfer window moves
Mikel Arteta is considering summer signings at Arsenal
Arsenal are back on track at the top of the Premier League table as they gear up for Sunday’s clash with Chelsea and looking towards the summer transfer window.
The Gunners provided the ideal answer to their recent stumbles by demolishing Tottenham last weekend. Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze each netted twice to seal a 4-1 victory just four days after the Gunners were stunned by a 2-2 stalemate at Wolves.
The dropped points at Molineux sparked doubts about their championship credentials. Yet their display against Spurs – which put them five points ahead of Manchester City at the Premier League summit – helped quieten the critics. Here’s all the latest news from the Emirates.
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Gyokeres demand made
Gyokeres has been warned he must step up against Arsenal’s primary competitors. The Swede’s unpredictable maiden campaign with the Gunners improved with his double in the north London derby.
Nevertheless, Arsenal icon Anders Limpar insists his fellow countryman cannot simply score against “awful” defences like Spurs’, reports the Mirror.
Gyokeres, 27, has failed to trouble the scorers against the Manchester sides or Liverpool this term, though Limpar acknowledges his team-mates share responsibility for that shortcoming.
The former winger told Bettingsidor.se: “He’s struggling in some games because players like Saka, Trossard and Odegaard don’t look to find Viktor. They haven’t quite worked each other out yet, so he’s struggled.
“When he gets more of the ball, his touch is good and he wants to receive it, so I think Arsenal have to find Viktor more, even when playing Liverpool or Manchester City, who are the top teams.”
“When playing an awful defensive team like Tottenham, he looked really, really good. So they have to be patient and see what he can do against Chelsea and build on that.
“It’s not heaven or hell here. We have to be patient and let him grow into the team. For some players, it takes a little longer, but he was unbelievable against Spurs.”
White replacement option emerges
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Arsenal are reportedly amongst a cluster of clubs keen on Eintracht Frankfurt right-back Nnamdi Collins, who is said to be valued at around £13m.
With Ben White taking a backseat to Jurrien Timber and possibly heading for the exit door this summer, the Gunners are scouting for a potential long-term successor.
Collins has been turning heads with his displays, cementing himself as one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting defenders. The 6ft 2in ace can play at centre-back and fullback.
Arsenal aren’t the sole club pursuing the 22-year-old German international, who, similar to White, can also function at the centre of defence.
Manchester City, Newcastle, Brentford and Brighton are also monitoring Collins, reports TEAMtalk.
Meanwhile, White, 28, who set the Gunners back £50million when he joined from Brighton in 2021, has been linked with a switch to Barcelona, according to reports in Spanish media.
Arsenal could choose to offload White, who has made just seven Premier League appearances this campaign, in a bid to claw back as much of that £50m as possible and replace him with a far cheaper and exciting young alternative.
