Arsenal are now expected to make a £40m bid for a “world-class” star, and Mikel Arteta is a big fan.
Gunners eyeing reinforcements amid title push
The Premier League title race is heating up, and the Gunners remain in a strong position, sitting four points clear of nearest-rivals Manchester City, despite the 1-1 draw against Brentford on Thursday night.
Mikel Arteta was happy with the way his side performed in the second half, after a slow start, saying: “We struggled the first 10-15 minutes, then we picked it up.
In the second half I think we started dominating the game with the pace, the intent that we had, and the amount of situations that we generated, without really hitting the target often enough in my opinion and finishing too many chances.”
However, on the balance of play, Arteta’s men were perhaps slightly fortunate to come away with a point, given that they ended the match with an xG of just 0.60, compared to 1.51 from the hosts.
Winning the Premier League title for the first time in over 20 years is no doubt the north Londoners’ biggest priority right now, but they are also making plans for the summer transfer window.
According to a report from SportsBoom, Arsenal are expected to make a blockbuster £40m bid for Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali, which seems quite low, given that he arrived at St. James’ Park from AC Milan for £55m back in July 2023.
Stan Kroenke & co mean business, but Eddie Howe is determined to keep hold of the midfielder, and previous reports have suggested a price tag of around £100m may be more realistic.
There is no shortage of interest in the Italian, with Manchester United and Juventus also keen, in light of the way in which he has performed over the past few years.
“World-class” Tonali could be statement signing
Arteta is known to be a big fan of the central midfielder, and it is clear to see why, with the 25-year-old adapting well to life in England, chipping in with four goals and two assists in the Premier League last season.
Not only that, but the Italy international is also proven at Champions League level, performing very well in the competition during his time with AC Milan.
Lauded as “world-class” by journalist Mark Douglas, Tonali could be a statement signing for Arsenal, but it seems unthinkable that Newcastle would consider cashing-in for £40m, given his importance to Howe, featuring in every single Premier League match this season.
Arsenal exploring move to sign Arteta’s new Xhaka for £100m
Arsenal have a big-money talent going into the summer transfer window.
