Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be under no illusions how important Saturday afternoon is for his team as they return to the Premier League.
The Gunners host an impressive Nottingham Forest side this weekend where a victory is a necessity after slipping to nine points behind leaders Liverpool after just ten matches. If they wish to have any chance at all of challenging for the title this season they will need to win.
However, should they continue their current form, any hope of winning the league could be gone by January. But, Arteta will certainly not be thinking like that and in our latest look at the media headlines it appears he is putting plans in place to make big changes to his squad.
Arsenal ‘ready to sell trio’
According to former scout Mick Brown, the Gunners are preparing to sell Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney in the January transfer window. It is believed none of the trio are currently in Arteta’s plans and as such, the Spaniard is looking at options to move them on.
What FL says: Like all clubs, Arsenal are going to be in a position where they need to sell talent in order to recruit. None of the three names are especially shocking to be included on this list. Jesus is a bit of a surprise considering the lack of striker options at the club. But, as time progresses, we expect to see Ethan Nwaneri gaining more opportunities and experience that would dilute the Brazilian’s role at the club.
Gyokeres urged to join Arsenal over Manchester United
Former Arsenal and Sweden international Anders Limpar has urged Viktor Gyokeres to snub Manchester United in favour of the Gunners. Limpar, who knows the Sporting striker from their days together at Brommapojkarna, explained: “If we at Arsenal [were to] buy Gyokeres, then he will definitely call me.
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“His work rate, he runs like a madman. When it doesn’t work out for Viktor, he works his way into the game with uncomfortable runs.
“When other top forwards aren’t doing well, they don’t work so hard for the team, they save their energy, Viktor never saves his energy. When things are a bit slow, he works his way into a game with runs, that’s why it has gone so well.”
What FL says: It must be acknowledged that Arsenal are no longer the favourites for Gyokeres. The Swede has a pre-established relationship with United’s new manager Ruben Amorim which would make it tricky for him to reject their advance. However, having one of his mentors pushing the case for the Gunners is no bad thing. At present, Arsenal remains the more appealing destination for a player on the rise but Arteta needs to turn things around to ensure that when Gyokeres is making his choice, United is not more appealing.
