Cesc Fabregas says £58m Man Utd target could ‘100 per cent’ be transfer ‘option’ for Arsenal
Could he add the firepower Mikel Arteta is after?
Cesc Fabregas says Arsenal must prioritise signing a ‘top striker’ and Viktor Gyokeres could ‘100 per cent’ be an option for the club in the summer transfer window.
The Gunners ignored calls amongst the fanbase to bring in a genuine centre-forward last summer and the club’s drop-off in the Premier League title race this season has largely been attributed to Mikel Arteta’s lack of firepower in attack.
Arteta admitted he was left ‘disappointed’ by Arsenal’s failure to strengthen up front as the January transfer deadline came and went – and season-ending injuries to both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have only shone more of a spotlight on the issue.
While Mikel Merino has stepped up admirably as a false nine, the north Londoners know they cannot afford to repeat the same mistake again and work is underway behind the scenes to bolster Arteta’s options for the forthcoming campaign.
Arteta is known to be an admirer of Alexander Isak but competition is fierce for the Newcastle star and the Swede’s staggering £160million asking price means Arsenal will likely have to explore other avenues.
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Isak’s fellow countryman, Gyokeres, is another player of interest and recent reports claimed the £58m-rated Sporting sensation favoured a switch to the Emirates over Manchester United.
New transfer chief a ‘huge’ fan of Gyokeres
It’s believed Arsenal’s newly appointed sporting director, Andrea Berta, is a ‘huge’ fan of Gyokeres and Fabregas would not be surprised to see his former club launch a bid.
Asked which areas Berta should be looking to strengthen, Fabregas told Amazon Prime: ‘First of all, he [Berta] is a man with tonnes of experience having done what he’s done at Atletico Madrid, building for many years.
‘I’m not inside to know their thoughts but, definitely, I would say a striker, a top, top striker, that can bang in 40 to 50 goals like all the top teams.’
Pressed on whether Gyokeres could be that man for Arsenal, Fabregas replied: ‘Yeah, he could be an option, 100 per cent.
‘But at least a top team like Arsenal are competing for the top level that Mikel wants.
‘As he’s said now, it’s not about being here [at a certain level], it’s about winning, I think, for the next step.’
A look into Gyokeres' prolificacy in front of goal
Gyokeres has taken Portuguese football by storm over the last two years to establish himself as one of the most sought-after attacking players in Europe.
Since swapping Coventry for Lisbon, Gyokeres has racked up 87 goals in 94 games and Sporting have grown increasingly resigned to losing the 26-year-old at the end of the season.
‘He is the best in the league, clearly,’ Sporting head coach Rui Borges said of Gyokeres after the side’s win over Rio Ave.
‘There are no adjectives to describe Viktor. He is an extraordinary striker, very important to our team, he has helped the team to grow with confidence, quality of play, he passes it on to his team-mates.
‘He is a focused player, who pays attention to details, he is competitive, never lets his guard down, and doesn’t want to rest.
‘He is as an athlete, a player and team-mate who instils confidence in his team-mates with what he gives to the team.’
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