Arsenal hold talks to sign £50m Nketiah upgrade

Regardless of falling brief within the Premier League title race as soon as once more, shedding out to the indomitable Manchester Metropolis for the second successive season, Arsenal are calmly making switch tweaks to their outfit.

The switch window is in full swing and there is now lower than one month remaining to conclude enterprise, however the Gunners have already strengthened their backline with the £42m signing of Riccardo Calafiori and are working toward landing Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino so as to add some metal to the engine room.

Goalkeeper David Raya has additionally seen his preliminary mortgage stint completed for £27m, and now, Mikel Arteta can flip his consideration to the entrance of the ship.

Arsenal have considered one of Europe’s highest-quality squads and can be among the many favourites within the Premier League and Champions League each this yr, however are considerably missing at centre-forward.

That might now be altering…

Arsenal focusing on new striker

Arsenal are promoting some fringe gamers and changing them with signings of perceived increased high quality, thus bettering the general degree of Arteta’s squad. Eddie Nketiah is the newest to be labored towards the exit, with Marseille failing with a bid as Edu holds firm on his £30m asking price.

The centre-forward is more likely to depart, nevertheless, for – as per Football Transfers – Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro is being pursued.

The Brazilian ahead, who joined the Seagulls from Watford for roughly a £30m fee one yr in the past, loved a profitable season on the South Coast and has been the topic of latest inside Gunners’ discussions.

Sources perceive that Brighton could be keen to money in for round £50m, a lot relies on Nketiah’s future.

Joao Pedro’s exploits at Brighton

Nketiah is a dependable goalscorer however he does not boast the whole set of qualities that Arteta calls for from his crew – in different phrases, he’s expendable.

Pedro might show to be an clever signing and an enormous improve on the 25-year-old, having scored 20 goals and added three assists throughout all competitions for Brighton final season, hailed as an “absolute superstar” by journalist Charlie Haffenden.

As per FBref, Pedro, aged 22, ranks among the many high 6% of positional friends throughout Europe’s high 5 leagues over the previous yr for targets scored, the highest 7% for fouls drawn and the highest 2% for share of aerial challenges gained (62.0%).

Such metrics denote a robust set of rounded expertise, together with his ball-carrying means – he is been described as an “insane dribbler” by analyst Ben Mattinson – main opponents to commit fouls and his strong physique permitting him to outwork others within the duel.

It is precisely what Arteta’s after, with positional fluidity combined with such athletic qualities and a scientific nature to improve on Nketiah, who solely has 19 goals from 116 appearances within the Premier League.

He would enhance Arsenal’s frontline, however he’d even be one thing of a dream for Gunners skipper Martin Odegaard, whose playmaking brilliance would go well with his progressive nature to a tee.

Think about Joao Pedro & Martin Odegaard

Odegaard has been the linchpin over the previous a number of seasons, awarded the membership’s Player of the Season for 2023/24 and posting 26 goals and 18 assists throughout the 2 phrases.

His affect and intelligence, approach and tenacity and box-crashing genius have seen him rise from a one-time wonderkid label to very a lot stay as much as the hype.

Throughout Europe’s high 5 leagues over the previous yr, Odegaard ranks among the top 5% of midfielders for targets, the highest 4% for assists, the highest 1% for shot-creating actions, the highest 2% for progressive passes and the highest 11% for progressive carries per 90.

The 25-year-old additionally created 17 big chances within the Premier League final season, and whereas his full high quality could be a profit for any participant, his vary of passing might unlock the best soccer of Pedro.

Brighton’s rising star, having completed 1.4 dribbles per game within the English high flight final yr and created 9 massive possibilities himself, would supply the artistic ability of Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal whereas bringing the sort of rising goalscoring acumen that Odegaard would relish.

The Norway captain’s string-pulling presence from the center of the park has seen him develop into considered one of Europe’s most interesting gamers, and Pedro – nonetheless solely 22 bear in mind – may very well be the ultimate piece of the puzzle to ship the crew’s dynamism to a different degree solely.

Clearly, a lot hinges on Nketiah’s sale, however Arsenal are fairly clearly keen to half methods with a participant who has been used sparingly below Arteta’s wing particularly so over the second half of the 2023/24 marketing campaign.

Certainly, incomes simply six substitute appearances within the Premier League since February – and being left on the bench for an extra ten matches – it will look like in the most effective pursuits of all events to money in swiftly.

Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard have each succeeded at centre-forward during the last yr, with the German particularly so, however now a extra prolific focus is required.

Having fought tooth and nail to overthrow Man Metropolis’s imperious reign in England, the Londoners are having fun with a formidable switch window that may simply tip the chances. Third time fortunate?

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