Arsenal have been given a boost in their potential pursuit of a Bayern Munich star this summer, according to reliable Bayern insider Christian Falk.
Arsenal take on Wigan Athletic after Brentford stalemate
Arsenal dropped precious points in the title race on Thursday night after Brentford pegged them back to a frustrating 1-1 draw, leaving the Gunners just four points clear atop the Premier League following Man City’s midweek victory.
Mikel Arteta‘s side dominated possession but looked toothless throughout the opening half at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Eberechi Eze started his first league match in two months but appeared completely lost, forcing Arteta to haul him off at the break and send on captain Martin Odegaard instead.
The breakthrough finally arrived on the hour when Noni Madueke headed home brilliantly after Piero Hincapié’s cross, yet Arsenal’s celebrations proved premature.
Just 10 minutes later, Brentford levelled through Keane Lewis-Potter’s diving header following Michael Kayode’s long throw, the fourth goal the Bees have scored from throw-ins this season.
Both sides chased victory during a frantic finale. Igor Thiago squandered a golden chance for the hosts when he blazed over with only David Raya to beat, whilst substitute Gabriel Martinelli nearly won it for Arsenal but saw Caoimhín Kelleher deny him with an outstretched arm.
The draw ended Arsenal’s four-match winning streak and piled pressure on Arteta heading into Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round clash against League One strugglers Wigan Athletic at the Emirates.
Arsenal expected to make £40m bid for “world-class” star, Arteta is a big fan
The Gunners have set their sights on a midfielder.
Wigan arrive in north London battling relegation, sitting 22nd in the third tier and winless in their last six matches across all competitions.
They sacked Ryan Lowe last week following a 6-1 thumping by Peterborough, then lost 2-1 to Reading under caretaker Glenn Whelan.
Despite their league crisis, Wigan showed cup pedigree by beating Championship side Preston 1-0 in the third round. Arsenal advanced past Portsmouth 4-1, though they needed to recover from conceding inside three minutes.
The sides last met in April 2014 when Arsenal edged a penalty shootout 5-3 following a 1-1 semi-final draw en route to lifting the trophy.
Arteta will rotate heavily given Wednesday’s rearranged Premier League trip to Wolves and next Saturday’s north London derby against Tottenham, but the Gunners still expect comfortable passage against opponents they’ve beaten in 16 of 21 previous encounters.
Off the field, sporting director Andrea Berta is preparing for what will likely be an intriguing summer window.
Leon Goretzka keen to join Arsenal this summer after January talks
Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka will leave on a free this summer after deciding to remain at the club in January, despite interest from the likes of Arsenal and Spurs last month.
The German’s £298,000-per-week deal runs out in June, and because of that, Berta could snap up the experienced midfielder at zero transfer cost.
According to Falk, Arsenal opened January discussions with Goretzka about a potential summer switch to north London, with the Bayern star ‘definitely interested’ in making the move.
They knocked on the Germany international’s door late in the winter window, though Goretzka had already committed to staying at the Allianz Arena for the remainder of the campaign.
However, those conversations also established preliminary groundwork for renewed negotiations once the season concludes.
Goretzka rejected Atlético Madrid’s January advances specifically because his sights are set on English football, whilst Arsenal remain eager to bring the 31-year-old to N5 despite competition from multiple clubs.
Tottenham and several Serie A outfits are monitoring developments, yet sources suggest London holds particular appeal for the midfielder.
Falk confirmed Arsenal and Goretzka held talks to potentially and could agree to revisit the situation this summer.
Whether Arsenal will face serious competition or negotiate unopposed remains unclear, but Goretzka’s Premier League ambitions could align perfectly heading into a crucial summer window.
£265k-per-week Arsenal star should be nowhere near the XI this week
Mikel Arteta must make some changes to his Arsenal team this week.
