Arsenal are expected to welcome lots of new faces to the Emirates Stadium this summer. The Gunners enjoyed a promising start to the season, but following lots of injuries to key players, any chance of lifting the Premier League quickly evaporated.
So, Mikel Arteta has urged Andrea Berta to 'add goals and creativity' to his squad. football.london understands that the Spaniard wants to get business done quickly, with the hope that the north Londoners can move swiftly in the opening weeks of the window.
The new sporting director has already offloaded a few players and handed out a couple of contract extensions, but he's yet to make his first signing. So, with that being said, football.london has rounded up the latest Arsenal news and gossip.
Arsenal given Gyokeres 'green light'
Sean Dyche has endorsed the signing of Viktor Gyokeres, describing the Sporting CP striker as a 'real player'. Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Everton manager recalled the time he watched him play for Coventry City in the Championship.
"The boy Gyokeres, I've got to be honest, I think he's a real player," said Dyche. "I saw him in the Championship. Then we played him in pre-season and I thought, 'Strong, honest'. Not just the fact he was scoring goals by the way, there's more to his game I think"
Dyche added: "People have been asking about Arsenal to get a number nine or an out-and-out centre-forward. They say it as if it's easy, as if there's hundreds of them everywhere. It's not that easy. Everyone wants a centre-forward."
football.london says: "I'd like to see Viktor Gyokeres in the Premier League. It would be interesting to see how he gets on. Arsenal need to make a decision quickly before another team swoops in for the Sporting striker – or Benjamin Sesko!"
Arsenal and Man City battle for Porto youngster
According to Team Talk, Arsenal and Manchester City are in the race to sign Martim Fernandes from Porto. The 19-year-old right-back has recently emerged as a potential target for clubs across Europe following his impressive performances in the Portuguese top-flight and the Club World Cup.
The report claims Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen have been keeping tabs on Fernandes for almost a year as they look to monitor his development. It's said that both clubs consider the teenager to have 'great potential and a bright future'.
football.london says: "I trust that Martim Fernandes is a good prospect, but I'm not convinced he's what Arsenal need right now. The Gunners have Ben White and Jurrien Timber at right-back, not to mention Takehiro Tomiyasu, who'll be eager to return from injury and earn a new contract."
Arsenal urged to sign Messi...
Speaking on talkSPORT, Andy Goldstein urged Arsenal to replace Kai Havertz with Lionel Messi. The 37-year-old forward could be available for a cut-price fee this summer, with his contract at Inter Miami expiring in December 2025.
"You know what, I think if he plays up top for Arsenal, he wins them the Premier League," said Goldstein. "I genuinely do. If you've got Messi scoring goals, I think he wins them [the title].
"Where's their weakness, Arsenal? It's probably the lack of a number nine. Kai Havertz isn't the answer. I know he's not [a No.9]. But he could still do that job. I think if Messi went to Arsenal, they'd win the Premier League."
football.london says: "This hardly a realistic suggestion. Of course, any club in the world would be lucky to sign Lionel Messi, and I don't doubt that he probably could pull up trees in the Premier League at his age, but Arsenal need a proper striker ."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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