With Arsenal in the market for a new right-back, Andrea Berta is now targeting a move to sign a Premier League defender who Pep Guardiola loves.
“Incredible” Gyokeres is on track, says Arteta
There was a brief and understandable moment of anxiety when Arsenal dropped points against Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers, but a 4-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur quickly eased concerns last weekend. Now, the Gunners head into another London derby with confidence restored.
Viktor Gyokeres was the clear standout against Tottenham and his spell of form arrives at a crucial time as Mikel Arteta‘s side prepare to play host to Chelsea on Sunday.
Arteta has been full of praise for his in-form striker this week, telling reporters that the Swede is on track after initial struggles: “I think one thing leads to another. When you score the first one or the performances are good, you have more time with your team-mates, you understand the games, the opponent, the league better. Everything helps.
“We know his qualities. He is undoubtedly an incredible striker. We need to feed to his quality, we need to understand him better, he needs to understand the team, the league better, I think we are in the right trajectory.”
Desperate Arsenal star tells agent to work on summer exit; Champions League giants very interested
A potential blow for Mikel Arteta…
It’s very much looking like problem solved for Arsenal in the striker department if Gyokeres continues his improved form. But one problem that remains is the right-back area.
As much as Jurrien Timber has nailed down his starting place, reports that Everton are interested in Ben White have sparked concerns that the Gunners will be left without a backup. That could force them into the market and into the race to sign a Premier League rival.
Arsenal targeting Livramento move
As reported by Caught Offside’s Daily Briefing, Berta and Arsenal are now targeting a summer move to sign Tino Livramento from Newcastle United.
The right-back received heavy interest from Manchester City last summer, before the Citizens were put off by Newcastle’s £80m demand. Now, one year on, it’s Arsenal who are eyeing the chance to sign the 23-year-old.
Crucially, there is also a chance that the Gunners avoid that hefty £80m fee this summer. If Newcastle miss out on European football, there will be question marks over their ability to price players out of a move away from St James’ Park.
Whether a potential price-drop reignites Man City’s interest could also be something to watch. Guardiola is reportedly a huge fan of Livramento, who was dubbed “excellent” by talent scout Jacek Kulig last April.