Arteta needs a striker, and perhaps more than oneArteta needs a striker, and perhaps more than one
Arteta needs a striker, and perhaps more than one | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal are said to be in talks over a bargain striker transfer, and the player seems more than up for an England switch.
Arsenal are said to have started talks with one of the hottest properties on the market this summer. The Gunners will be searching for a striker or two this summer having seen their season go off a cliff in the absence of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, who were both ruled out for the season early in the year.
The Gunners were not able to find a temporary solution in the January window, and they paid the price. Mikel Arteta knows he must find a long term solution this summer, and with Jesus out until towards the end of the calendar year, he may be wise to sign two if the budget allows.
One available striker who would be ultra-friendly to the budget is Lille striker Jonathan David, who is out of contract this summer and available on a free transfer. David is already able to agree a pre-contract agreement ahead of the summer, though he is still not likely to make a final decision until after the season is over.
But clubs are still in talks, and Le10 Sport say the Gunners are now in ‘concrete talks’ with David’s representatives, though they are joined by Tottenham and Manchester United. David has scored 85 goals in 170 league games for Lille, while he has also been prolific for his national side Canada, scoring 30 times in 60 games for his country since his 2018 debut.
The forward is still only 25, so he is perhaps yet to hit his peak, and he is already recognised as one of the best striker talents in Europe. Given he is available on a free transfer, there is likely to be an almighty scramble for his signature this summer, and he is likely to command big wages in the absence of a transfer fee. Even so, the deal would suit Arsenal, who could sign David and prime target Benjamin Sesko for around £60million, which would be tremendous business.
David on the Premier League and more
David has amassed a big reputation in Canada and beyond, and in an interview with The Guardian this week, he responded to claims that he may be the best in the CONCACAF region. “For sure, if people say I’m the best in Concacaf it makes me proud. It must mean I’m doing something right. It doesn’t give me no extra motivation to show the US something,” he said. “Maybe they’ve been lacking that in the last couple of years, a striker that scores just consistently. But I think in the years to come they’ll have that.”
Asked about the Premier League amid those transfer links, he added: “For me, watching the Premier League, the biggest difference it’s just the intensity,” he says. “I think physicality is pretty much the same [as Ligue 1]. But the intensity, the game is always at a high-end tempo, always 100% back and forth, fast and full for 90 minutes, compared to the French league.”
Then asked about the weather, he concluded: “To be fair, it’s not, much different than Lille!. They always compare Lille to London. So for me, it wouldn’t be a big change.”
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