Arsenal is making progress with their summer plans as they aim to secure the signings of Kai Havertz and Declan Rice, kickstarting their transfer window.
Despite their near miss in the league last season, the Gunners are looking to strengthen their squad to ensure every player can contribute under manager Mikel Arteta.
To make room for new arrivals, The Independent is reporting that Arsenal is expected to sell either Folarin Balogun or Eddie Nketiah before the start of the next season. Both young strikers have emerged from the club’s youth system, with Balogun impressing during his loan spell at Reims last season.
Nketiah, on the other hand, served as a backup striker at the Emirates and delivered solid performances in some matches.
With the potential arrival of Havertz and the presence of Gabriel Jesus as additional attacking options, Arsenal will need to make a decision between Nketiah and Balogun as they cannot retain both players.
Just Arsenal Opinion
Balogun and Nketiah are two of our own, but we need to win trophies soon and they do not have the experience to help us achieve that.
If they stay, they will spend most of the season on the bench, so it would be smart of them to find new homes now.
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Balogun has the promise of offering another Saliba experience. He should be given his deserved chance to prove himself.
Agreed on this one – Balogun was scored 21 league goals and dished out three assists across 37 games and 3,012 minutes.
Jonathan David scored 24 and provided 4 assists; slightly better in both departments, and he is one of the most sought after young forwards in Europe.
It seems madness to send him packing after paying 65 million for Kai Havertz who tallied 7/1, 8/4, and 4/4 league goals and assists in three seasons with Chelsea. For Leverkusen he managed 12/6, 17/4, 3/9, and 4/6 league goals and assists in his four seasons of senior football in the Bundesliga.
Havertz might be great for Arsenal, and his tallies are good, but at this point, he has shown what he can do. It is unlikely he will ’emerge’ as a better player with Arsenal.
Balogun got his first real chance at playing regularly and grabbed that chance with both hands and put in a star’s performance.
Will Balogun be the next Serge Gnabry? A player who moved on to a bigger, better team, excelled, and won trophies while Arsenal wallowed and struggled?
“Here we go”………Havertz deal agreed and medical to be arranged. I’m thinking Xhaka now definitely on his way out.
Can’t wait to see which big club’s line up to buy Eddie lol
Nekhetia definitely should be sold. Balogun should start pre-season with us. If it looks like he made a giant leap forward, he should stay. If it looks like he improved but is still far away from Jesus, we should sell him.
Nkhetia and Balogun must both be retained. With Arsenal playing in the Champions league, several cup competitions and premier league, a relatively strong squad with depth is a necessity. Arteta failed to win the league because of a thin squad. Fatigue could easily be seen towards the end. In reality every position should have a backup who is equally good.
I can see now why the Kroenke family is reluctant to spend, because too much has been wasted on average players and Chelsea rejects. Besides, there are so many fringe players who Edu and company can’t sell or get rid of. They cannot balance their books. There’s literally no cash coming in from players sale. Now looking back at how and why Arsenal bottled the premier league. Firstly, the lack of quality squad depth, secondly, poor substitutions and rotation, thirdly, Saliba and Tomiyasu injuries and lastly the defensive frailties of Zinchencko and Holding, with whom Arteta persisted for too long in some crucial games, where, Arsenal were comfortably leading and ended in draws. Thus, l expected in this transfer window that priority was going to be given to address the squad deficiencies. Instead, Arsenal is focused on giving Chelsea 65m pounds for a 3yrs premier league Flop to buy a defensive midfielder we need. What’s going on? I just can’t comprehend that Arsenal is willing to help the team that have denied them of getting deals done for their main targets by outbidding them so regularly. I am sure that there are better options across the top five leagues across Europe than Havertz, who, will cost way less. Yes, Edu and Arteta have done better last season, but their overall transfer success record stand at about 40% only. Arsenal must focus ond fixing the defensive midfield and back line first. Arsenal NEEDS 2 defensive midfielders, a center back, a right back and a right winger. Players they want should only be bought after the acquisition of the players needed, not the other way around. Let’s hope the decisions are made, as l will be disappointed if they are not. Arsenal have too many square pegs in round holes.
Kroenke reluctant to spend?
£90+ million on Rice, £65 million for Havertz and £30+ million on Timber, you call that reluctant! SMH….
I was just warming to the Chelsea rejects 🙄.
With Arsenal target to beat Man City, next season, Kai Havertz cannot be called a reject into our team with his outstanding stats against MC. All our goals against Man City between 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons were two: one from Saka; and another from Holding respectively. Havertz alone scored two goals and made one assist against MC within the period under review. This is a feat that stands him out as a prospective Gunner. We must reckon with that in our strategic plans in the ongoing transfer window. Since goals win matches, we expect that Havertz will give us goals against our rival team.
If we need a CM, why don’t we bring in a CM? Instead the plan is more versatility, more Jack’s of all trades but masters of none?
Having a couple versatile players helps the club, but having every player versatile and not a master of 1 position isn’t going to work.
Our best performers this year played in a single position. Saka and Martinelli on the wings, Odegaard as a 10, Saliba as a CB, and Xhaka as a CM.
Don’t overthink and try to be clever, get a CM for the position, not Havertz and versatility. Even as striker Havertz won’t pull up trees. Waste of 65 million IMHO when top CM are available for similar price.
Also, helping Chelsea to bring in Caicedo why we bring in their unwanted for similar role, wow.
DURAND, Got to say that I do , broadly, take all your points.
I definitely think MA’S TRANSFERS, IN AND OUTS, ARE HIS MAIN WEAKNESS, TAKEN AS A WHOLE.
SOME GOOD, BUT SOME VERY POOR INDEED. And I hugely worry about the all but completed Havertz tarnsfer.
Odegaard doesn’t play as a 10 – his heatmap is very similar to xhaka’s for last season, just on the other side, and a little less in defensive areas.
Found that interesting – he’s actually playing as a *slightly* advanced cm. Probably not dissimilar to how fabregas used to play for us