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Arteta ‘wants bombshell statement’ signing of Man City star with Gunners close to third deal


Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta wants to bring Man City striker Julian Alvarez to the Emirates Stadium this summer, according to reports.

The Gunners are looking for a new striker this summer with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah only scoring nine goals between them in the Premier League last season.

Arsenal academy product Nketiah looks set to be heading out this summer with French side Marseille keen on the Englishman and have submitted a new offer.

The Athletic journalist David Ornstein wrote on Tuesday:

‘Marseille have stepped up their efforts to sign Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal after submitting an improved proposal for the striker on Tuesday.

‘The Ligue 1 side’s new offer is worth nearing €20million (£16.8m) — similar in value to their previous approach but closer to the formula Arsenal want for the forward.

‘Given their considerably higher asking price, Arsenal are still likely to deem the bid unrealistic; however Marseille continue to work on the situation and the clubs remain in conversations.

‘Should they strike a deal, the 25-year-old has already agreed a five-year contract with Marseille and is keen to join head coach Roberto De Zerbi’s team.’

Arteta seemed to hint at their need for a new striker in the early hours of Thursday too after his side lost 2-1 to Liverpool in a pre-season friendly in the United States.

The Arsenal boss, who used Kai Havertz as his main forward on a number of occasions last season, insists the Gunners have to improve in front of goal.

Arteta said after the defeat to Liverpool: “Obviously we can improve. The game would have been very different if the first chance that we had, we scored but that’s the goal.

“It makes the difference when you’re in those areas in those spaces in the box, putting the ball in the back of the net and we created a situation, we had another two or three big open situations to go better but we didn’t, so we have to improve.”

And now reports in Spain insists that Arteta ‘wants to make a statement’ this summer by signing Man City striker Alvarez as he looks to improve his Arsenal forward line.

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It is understood that the Gunners are ‘preparing a bombshell that would turn the Premier League upside down’ with the Argentina international making ‘it clear that he is not happy with the minutes he is getting under [Pep] Guardiola’.

And Arsenal ‘are willing to fish in troubled waters’ this summer with Alvarez able to ‘fit perfectly into Arteta’s system’ and now the Argentinian could follow in the footsteps of Jesus and Zinchenko in swapping City for the Gunners.

Arsenal ‘will have to push hard’ to land Alvarez this summer with Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea believed to be among the clubs interested.

Speaking about his future earlier this week, Alvarez told reporters: “There is a lot of talk.

“I am focused here [at the Olympics] because it is a short tournament. At Manchester City I feel very good, I played a lot of minutes.

“But we will see after the Games. First, if I can, I will take a few days off. Then we will decide.”

And Arsenal are close to making their third signing of the summer after the arrivals of David Raya and Riccardo Calafiori, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano insisting that there is an “agreement in place over personal terms” for Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino.

Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column: “Arsenal are closing in on the Mikel Merino deal as a verbal agreement is now getting closer! Agreement in place on personal terms as Merino wants the move. Verbal discussions with Real Sociedad for package in excess of €30m, talks on to get the deal done.”





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