Latest news with #MikelArteta
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Opinion: Arsenal signing £62m ‘new Best and Maradona' rolled into one would bring PL title home
Opinion: Arsenal signing £62m 'new Best and Maradona' rolled into one would bring PL title home Arsenal have a lot of work to do in the January transfer window. Mikel Arteta's men are currently sitting six points behind league leaders Liverpool in the table, and the Merseyside outfit have a game in hand on the Gunners. Advertisement Arsenal fans would have expected much more before the start of the 2024/25 season, having pushed Manchester City so close over the past two campaigns. One of the factors behind the Gunners' struggles has been the lack of a potent threat down the left hand side. Sure, there have been some harsh red cards, and Arteta has had to deal with numerous injuries to key players, but Gabriel Martinelli's form has been a real concern. Whilst Leandro Trossard has still chipped in with the odd goal here and there, he hasn't been great overall either. It's time for Arsenal to make a big upgrade in the left wing role, and the perfect player is out there waiting for Arteta to make his move. Advertisement Arsenal need to make a big January statement Arteta simply has to strengthen his ranks at the Emirates this winter, if a charge at the Premier League title is possible. And Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the perfect man for the job. He could be sold for around £62 million according to a publication in the winger's home country – Georgia Today. The Gunners must go all out to bring the 23-year-old Napoli attacker to north London, in order to solve Arteta's pressing left wing problem. Sky Sports suggest that his playing styles similar to that of iconic duo George Best and Diego Maradona. Kvaratskhelia's dribbling ability is second to none, and the way that he moves with the ball seemingly stuck to his feet like glue is a true joy to watch. Advertisement The Georgia international has five goals and three assists to his name in 15 Serie A appearances for Napoli so far this season. In total, he has 30 goals and 29 assists in 105 games for the Italian giants. The Napoli star is only 23, so he has many more years left to improve and reach even higher levels. In my opinion, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is on another level to Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. If Mikel Arteta manages to bring him to Arsenal in January, it could well be the deal that brings the Premier League trophy to the Emirates for the first time ever. Stats via Transfermarkt.
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Arsenal plan to fly Viktor Gyokeres to Singapore for medical ahead of £63.8m move
Arsenal plan to fly Viktor Gyokeres to Singapore for a medical ahead of his blockbuster move from Sporting CP. Sources tell The Independent that plans are in place for the Swedish striker to finalise his move on the Gunners' pre-season tour. Mikel Arteta's side face AC Milan on Wednesday, which will come too soon for Gyokeres to feature, with the next friendly on Sunday against Newcastle. Arsenal appear close to finalising details in a protracted transfer saga for Gyokeres, in a move that could rise to £63.8m (€73.5m). Gyokeres could be one of two new additions for Arsenal, with centre-back Cristhian Mosquera set to join. The Spanish defender has already completed his medical and is another piece to boost Arteta in his quest to finally land that Premier League title after going so close in recent years. The pair will not be able to feature in the friendly with AC Milan on Wednesday, but they could make their debuts against Newcastle on Sunday. When asked about the progress on a move for Gyokeres, Arteta replied on Monday: "I cannot comment on any player who is not part of our group yet. When we have something concrete to offer in any case to any player we will do that. "There's still a long time in the window and we are seeking still, in terms of numbers, we are short and we have to improve the depth and quality of the squad. "We are constantly looking in the market. Until that happens, focus on the players we have and focus on them and I'm very pleased with what I have seen in the last 10-15 days." Arsenal settled on Gyokeres after initially doing work on the potential signing of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, but there was always a reluctance to meet the German club's valuation.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Arsenal close to Gyokeres deal after add-ons delay
Arsenal are on the verge of signing Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres after negotiations over the finer details of the transfer took longer than Sport reported last week a 73.5m euro (£63.5m) deal was in the final stages, with Arsenal hoping it would be done for the beginning of their pre-season tour of Asia, which starts on Sunday. However, the move for the Sweden forward has been held up because of negotiations between the clubs over add-on payments. Gyokeres has already agreed terms and a five-year contract with the 27-year-old has been in demand during the summer transfer window after scoring 54 goals in 52 games for Sporting last Sport revealed earlier this month how Arsenal had turned their attentions to Gyokeres after hitting an impasse in their bid to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig. The search for a striker has been a drawn-out process for manager Mikel Arteta, who has been desperate to add an elite centre-forward after his side scored 17 fewer goals and finished 10 points behind champions Liverpool in the Premier League last season. The Spaniard boosted his overall attacking options with the signing of England winger Noni Madueke, 23, from Chelsea last week. Former Brighton and Coventry striker Gyokeres has scored 97 goals in 102 matches during his two seasons in Portugal, helping Sporting lift back-to-back Primeira Liga his time at Coventry, he was one of the most prolific strikers in the 116 appearances for the Sky Blues, he scored 43 goals. He was named in the Championship team of the year in 2022-23 as Coventry reached the play-off final, but were beaten on penalties by Luton summer he moved to Portugal, signing for Sporting for about £ made his international debut for Sweden in 2019 against Finland and has played 26 games for his country, scoring 15 goals.
New York Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Arsenal's evolving attack: The options Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke open up for Mikel Arteta
Arsenal had to address their offensive options this summer. Centre-forward was the main concern, but building greater depth in wide areas and the attacking midfield positions was also necessary. The club are on the verge of a total agreement for the transfer of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP while the signing of Chelsea's Noni Madueke was confirmed last week. The future of existing players such as Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard may still be unclear, but manager Mikel Arteta will start pre-season with more choice. Advertisement The importance of that cannot be understated, especially given how past pre-seasons have provided Arsenal with a platform to take charge of a new Premier League campaign. The summer three years ago is likely the best example. Gabriel Jesus signed before their U.S. tour, then Oleksandr Zinchenko arrived during it, and the pair were ready to give the side a new dimension when that 2022-23 season kicked off. Back then, Arteta landed on what would be his preferred starting line-up in the fifth pre-season game: a 4-0 win against Chelsea in Orlando. Twelve months later, Arteta ended pre-season by using Declan Rice and an aggressive No 8 and Kai Havertz up front in the Community Shield defeat of Manchester City. It was an experiment he would return and stick to from the halfway point of that 2023-24 season as Arsenal benefited from both players' versatility. The additions made to the squad already in summer 2025 could make this pre-season one for the next stage of Arsenal's evolution under Arteta. As the Swede is such a high-profile signing, the most obvious scenario would see Gyokeres slotting in at centre-forward with Bukayo Saka to his right and Gabriel Martinelli to his left. But if Arteta wants to use the five friendlies being played over the next three weeks as an opportunity to experiment, he has the players to get creative. His go-to 4-3-3 system can have fairly straightforward alterations. Havertz could share that centre-forward spot with Gyokeres, with Jesus adding more depth when he recovers from January's anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury. Madueke will not join the squad until after their current trip to Asia, as he's now on his summer break after helping win the recent Club World Cup with Chelsea, but can take the place of Saka on the right as well as offering cover on the left. The midfield setup will be more interesting, with just three spaces available. A trio of Martin Odegaard, Rice and a slightly deeper Martin Zubimendi is what we are most likely to see when Arsenal's Premier League season kicks off away to Manchester United on Sunday, August 17. In that scenario, Zubimendi would be the one setting the tempo, allowing Rice to play more of a box-to-box role and Odegaard to rediscover his creative flair. Advertisement While this is anticipated to be the primary midfield trio for the coming season, some fixtures could require different skill sets. For instance, as well as craving a new striker, there were matches last season where Arsenal could have benefited from having another creator in central areas. With the way Myles Lewis-Skelly is used at left-back, drifting into midfield, the side's shape during matches may serve them well by evolving into something that resembles this: Some game-states may only require one of Rice and Zubimendi, as there could be an opportunity to field someone with more attacking verve, such as Ethan Nwaneri. The 18-year-old, who is close to signing a new contract with the club, is set for a more central role in 2025-26. While most of his minutes came either as a right-sided No 8 or right-winger last season, he has had exposure in areas on the left. In last year's pre-season, Nwaneri played as a left-sided No 8 and claimed an assist for Jesus against Manchester United in Los Angeles as Odegaard helped create an overload on that side. Nwaneri played in similar areas in one of England's Under-21 European Championship group games last month, showing decent off-ball movement to create space for himself. He should have scored that day after a well-timed run into the six-yard box, but mistimed his finish. A key part of his development in recent years has also been about how he moves into pockets of space, which should provide more creativity behind the striker if Nwaneri is played alongside another attacking midfielder. Should Arsenal attack in that way, those left-sided positions could be perfect for transfer target Eberechi Eze. The Crystal Palace midfielder has different skill sets to anyone in the Arsenal squad, and would surely thrive with the interchanging that could come in a setup like that. It is not too dissimilar to how they already play in possession, and is actually along the lines of how Arsenal would attack in that 2022-23 season, when the outfielders were evenly split into a defensive five and a forward five. Sometimes, that was changed by Ben White's involvements in attacks, which allowed them to have a presence across the width of the pitch. Arteta has also shown a willingness to play two centre-forwards in a 4-4-2 over the past two seasons. Havertz and Trossard have acted as that strike partnership, confusing defences with one dropping off and one stretching teams in behind. Though Arteta tended to use this approach when other attackers/midfielders were unavailable, it worked for the most part. Trossard and Havertz dovetailed incredibly well, so the manager could see this as a way to play the latter and Gyokeres together in the coming season. Gyokeres scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting, so the assumption Havertz would be the one who drops off is a fair one to make, but the Sweden international also provided 28 assists for the Lisbon side. At previous club Coventry City, he also assisted 17 goals alongside the 43 he got himself. In fact, he has reached double figures for assists across all competitions in each of the past three seasons. Advertisement Many of those assists came from cutbacks and square passes at the end of Gyokeres' channel runs, including one for Gustavo Hamer in Coventry's 2022-23 Championship play-off final defeat against Luton Town. As a result, ensuring wide players are in support when he breaks could help add even more goals to Arsenal's total. He has also shown an ability to play with another centre-forward for Sweden, where he has partnered Alexander Isak. Last season, three of Gyokeres' four Nations League assists were for the Newcastle United man. One was from a cutback after standing up an Azerbaijan defender, but later in the same game, his pass from a deeper area allowed Isak to run in behind for his second. The 27-year-old also showed good feet in a packed penalty area to flick the ball on to Isak against Slovakia, who showed exceptional technique himself to buy an extra yard for his finish. In a 4-4-2, it may also be nice variation out wide by using Madueke more as a touchline winger, getting around the outside and delivering into the box from the left. It may not be Arteta's go-to approach, but could give opposition defences a different question to answer. Arsenal were too predictable at times last season. Slow approach play into the final third would often be met by a low block, forcing them to play passes back and forth before a hopeful cross was sent into the box. After sorting out their squad depth in deeper areas of the pitch, the recruitment further forward should give Arteta more flexibility and unpredictability in attack for the coming campaign. With that, there may not only be an increase in their goals tally, but also in how entertaining Arsenal are to watch. While these additions may require some players, such as Havertz or Mikel Merino, to fight harder for game time, that is what building a competitive squad is about. The point of looking at Arsenal's bench for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain was made last month, not to compare with PSG's options, but to show the calibre of player Arteta had to call upon at a crucial stage of the season. Advertisement Outgoing transfers will come as their pre-season programme continues, but Arsenal are already in a better position in that regard. Now the focus will be on how to get the best out of this refreshed squad, not just at Old Trafford in that opening match next month but throughout a season of 50 to 60 games. (Top photos: Getty Images)
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to watch Arsenal vs AC Milan live: Stream link, TV channel, team news, prediction
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal face Italian giants AC Milan in Singapore on Wednesday, as the Gunners kick off their tour of Asia with plenty of new faces and expectations are sky-high ahead of the new season. MORE — Full list of ins and outs at all 20 Premier League clubs Arsenal have already signed Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard ahead of the new campaign, with Viktor Gyokeres and Cristhian Mosquera rumored to be arriving soon too as new sporting director Andrea Berta has been busy. After three-straight second place finishes in the Premier League and losing in the Champions League semifinals to eventual winners PSG last season, Arteta knows his Arsenal side must deliver silverware this season. That quest beings properly now as they face Milan, Newcastle and Spurs in the next 10 days in friendlies, and Arsenal are ready to take that final step. Can they do it? AC Milan are coming off a hugely disappointing season in Serie A as they finished in eight place and failed to qualify for Europe as a late-season surge wasn't enough to salvage a woeful campaign. Christian Pulisic is Milan's star attacking talent and the USMNT winger is fresh and fit after he asked to not be selected for the Gold Cup this summer. Massimiliano Allegri is now AC Milan's manager and they have added veteran Luka Modric in midfield this summer as they aim to turn things around quickly and get back into the Champions League, at the very least. How to watch Arsenal vs AC Milan live, stream link and start time Kick off time: 7:30am ET Wednesday (July 23)Venue: Singapore National Stadium — SingaporeTV Channel, Streaming: Paramount+ in USA Arsenal team news, focus Norgaard, Kepa and Zubimendi are all in line to make their Arsenal debuts, while Madueke is still recovering after playing his part in Chelsea's Club World Cup campaign before signing for Arsenal and will train with his new team when they return to the UK. The only injury absentee is Gabriel Jesus as he continues to recover from his ACL injury last season. Kai Havertz will be up top and it will be intriguing to see how new signing Zubimendi slots in to midfield alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. AC Milan team news, focus Pulisic was Milan's top goalscorer last season and both he and Rafael Leao give AC Milan something special in attack. Modric's arrival seems like it will be crucial as the veteran midfielder will dictate the tempo of the game and bring back some much-needed control. Milan massively underperformed last season but new manager Allegri will tighten them up defensively and they will be dangerous on the counter. Arsenal vs AC Milan prediction It's tough to predict how a preseason game will go but I think we can safely say there will be plenty of goals and Arsenal will probably prevail. Arsenal 4-2 AC Milan.
