Ask an Arsenal fan what part of the team needs reinforcing in the summer, and we’re sure they’d say centre-forward.

 

Go a step further and ask them the striker they want to come in, and Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak will almost certainly be one of the first names mentioned.

 

However, while the Swede would be an incredible addition to Mikel Arteta’s side, he’s not the only player the North Londoners should and could sign from the Magpies.

 

Bruno Guimaraes celebrates for Newcastle

According to reports from earlier this month, the Gunners are once again interested in the immensely talented Bruno Guimarães, although, as incredible as the Brazilian is, he’s still worth millions less than one of Arsenal’s leading stars.

 

Why Arsenal would want to sign Guimarães

So, there are a few reasons why Arsenal would want to splash the cash on Guimarães in the summer, with the first being that he can play in two positions to a brilliant standard.

 

bruno-guimaraes-newcastle-united-premier-league

For example, while he has played in four positions across his career, he has spent the majority of his time playing either as a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder, making 181 appearances as the former and 76 as the latter.

 

On top of his positional versatility – a trait we know Arteta values – the Brazilian international is a genuine threat on the attack, as in just 37 appearances this season, totalling 3006 minutes, he has scored three goals and provided eight assists.

 

That means the former Lyon star is averaging a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or every 273.27 minutes, despite making most of his appearances at the base of midfield this year.

 

Finally, the “world-class” 27-year-old, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has bags and bags of experience under his belt, winning 32 caps for the Seleção and captaining the Toon to their first trophy in 70 years, which might be the sort of thing to help the Gunners get over the line next year.

 

Bruno-Guimaraes-2

In all, Guimarães is one of the most exciting midfielders in the Premier League and more than deserving of his €65.2m valuation – £55m – from the CIES Football Observatory, although that is substantially lower than one of Arsenal’s midfield stars.

 

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Guimarães

While this season hasn’t entirely gone according to plan, Arsenal are blessed with several top-class midfielders, from club captain Martin Odegaard to Thomas Partey and the vastly experienced Jorginho.

 

Arsenal-Lewis-Skelly-Raya-Saka-Merino-Rice-Partey-Kiwior-Saliba-Martinelli-Jesus

However, in this instance, we are talking about Declan Rice, who, according to the CIES Football Observatory, is worth €108.3m, which is about £91m, or £36m more than Guimarães.

 

Now, that might seem like a lot considering the Brazilian’s sensational ability, but Rice is no slouch himself, and based on his performances for the Gunners, is more than worth his valuation.

 

Arsenal’s Declan Rice celebrates after the match

For example, the former West Ham United captain has proven to be a versatile midfielder, making 48 appearances as the left-eight and 42 as the team’s six, doing brilliantly in both roles.

 

Moreover, he’s also become a more reliable attacking outlet as well, racking up an impressive tally of 12 goals and 18 assists in 91 appearances for the North Londoners, totalling 7380 minutes.

 

Rice’s Arsenal record

 

Appearances

 

91

 

Starts

 

84

 

Minutes

 

7380′

 

Goals

 

12

 

Assists

 

18

 

Goal Involvements per Match

 

0.32

 

Minutes per Goal Involvement

 

 

 

That means the “world-class” Englishman, as dubbed by journalist Tom Marshall-Bailey, has averaged a goal involvement every 3.03 games, or every 246 minutes, since moving to the Emirates.

 

Finally, his underlying numbers are stellar, as, according to FBref, he sits in the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for carries into the penalty area, the top 5% for progressive carries, the top 6% for assists, the top 12% for passes blocked and more, all per 90.

 

Ultimately, signing Guimarães would undoubtedly make Arsenal a far stronger team, but he would have to hit the ground running to see his valuation catch up with Rice’s.

 

 

 

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has said he is hopeful that Bukayo Saka will make a return from his hamstring injury soon.

 

The winger has been out of action since mid-December, picking up an issue in the middle of a clash with Crystal Palace.

 

It was revealed that Bukayo Saka had torn his hamstring, with surgery required to help the star make a full recovery.

 

A long lay-off has followed, though recent images showed Saka returning to training, albeit not in a full capacity yet.

 

While Gabriel Martinelli recently returned from injury, there will need to be a slightly longer wait for Arsenal to see his teammate back in action.

 

With an international break coming up, there is growing hope that Bukayo Saka could be back after the two-week spell off.

 

Martin Odegaard gives update on Arsenal star Bukayo Saka’s injury

With Bukayo Saka still facing a spell on the sidelines, fans are eagerly awaiting when he could return to the team.

 

The Arsenal academy graduate has long been a star of the team, pushing them on when all else feels as though it is going against them.

 

 

Club captain Martin Odegaard has given a positive update in the Arsenal programme, giving some insight into the training return for the star.

 

He said: “It was great to see Gabi [Gabriel Martinelli] come back from injury last week against Man United, and hopefully Bukayo won’t be too far behind him.

 

“He’s around us every day at Sobha, and he’s so determined to come back as soon as he can. I know what it’s like when you feel you are so close to being able to play, but not quite there, you feel you are ready.

 

“But he just has to make sure he takes his time and is fully sharp when he does get back out on the pitch. He’s getting closer, and we want to see him back as well of course because losing his qualities is a big miss for any team.”

 

It shows that Saka is certainly able to impact the group by being around them for most of the training sessions, even if he isn’t fully involved yet.

 

The news of him getting closer is good, though Arsenal will be hoping it’s one that can see him return in the weeks ahead.

 

When could Bukayo Saka return from injury for Arsenal?

As it stands, Bukayo Saka isn’t expected to return to the first-team reckoning until after the international break, meaning he will miss out against Chelsea.

 

Despite that, the break is longer than two weeks, with a return to action coming on the first of April instead of March.

 

That could give some extra time for Saka to feature against Fulham in the first Premier League match back from the break.

 

 

 

The Arsenal academy has seen plenty of stars graduate to play at the very top level, with some impressive careers that followed.

 

Some stuck around to feature for the first team, while others left to venture away from the Emirates Stadium to play elsewhere.

 

 

Their careers after leaving Arsenal have often taken many twists and turns, though they will always proudly remain a part of the Hale End academy system.

 

While many have seen sudden changes in their careers, one former star has taken a bold new leap elsewhere.

 

Former Arsenal star Henri Lansbury called up to Baller League

Henri Lansbury was one of those to come through the Arsenal academy, featuring for the under-18s and under-21s.

 

The midfielder had loan spells at Scunthorpe, Watford, Norwich and West Ham over a four-year stay in the first-team setup.

 

Lansbury made eight appearances for Arsenal, with Arsene Wenger backing him to be a top player during his time at the club.

 

In 2012 he joined Nottingham Forest before switching to Aston Villa five years later, with other short stays in the EFL with Bristol City and Luton Town following.

 

 

In the end, Lansbury retired in 2023, calling time on his professional playing career, though there was a recent twist.

 

The midfielder is one of several ex-professionals who have signed up to the new Baller League, a six-a-side football tournament.

 

Teams will be managed by the likes of Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Luis Figo, John Terry, Ian Wright and more.

 

Lansbury is now one of several former professionals who will take a new twist on football with the Baller League.

 

He joins the VZN team, managed by content creator Tobi Brown.

 

What is the Baller League and how does it work?

The Baller League is a six-a-side football tournament with 12-player squads and 15-minute halves for each team.

 

12 teams will all be looking to win the competition, though there is a slight twist to how the rules work.

 

In the final three minutes of each half, teams are reduced to three players, while the goalkeepers aren’t allowed to use their hands and long-range goals are worth double.

 

It adds a tense twist to the usual rules, opening up the game for more chaos in those final moments.

 

Eindhoven has been packed with carnival-goers in recent days but on Tuesday it was Arsenal enjoying their own party in the city, getting over their goalscoring crisis and setting a Champions League record in the process.

 

Mikel Arteta’s side became the first team in Champions League history to score seven goals away from home in the knockout stages of the competition as they romped to a 7-1 win over PSV Eindhoven.

 

It was the most goals the Gunners have scored in a single game since beating Newcastle 7-3 in the Premier League 13 years ago.

 

The Arsenal manager said the win had given his players “joy and confidence and belief”, but was not getting carried away when questions were put to him about the records that his team had broken.

 

“For sure, it’s something that hasn’t been done, so great to be part of that,” Arteta said. “But as a team we want to achieve many other things that are far more important than that.

 

“The happiest thing is we are in a very strong position to go to the next round, which is where we want to be.

 

“But there’s still a job to do in London in a week’s time.”

 

After failing to score in their past two games, a 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest and 1-0 defeat by West Ham, Arteta may not have seen a victory like this coming.

 

“This will give them great confidence for the rest of the season. Right from the start Arsenal had control of the game,” said Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live.

 

“Arsenal were ruthless with their finishing, some of the combination play in the final third was sensational.

 

“Martin Odegaard looked back to his best. To a man they were really strong and that centre-back pairing [Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba] is phenomenal.

 

“Arsenal will take some stopping in this competition.”

 

England and Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was one of the players singled out for his performance during the game and said that the Gunners have got the reward for their hard work in recent weeks.

 

Rice, who had a goal ruled out for offside, said Arsenal were “fluid” and possessed the “enthusiasm, drive and hunger” that the knockout stages demand.

 

“But we’ve been playing like this all season,” he added. “We feel we’ve been playing well as a team. Sometimes we score five, sometimes two, sometimes we don’t score but [on Tuesday] we did well. It all clicked.”

 

Arsenal’s lack of a recognised striker has been well documented, with Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz both injured. But six different players contributed to the rout on Tuesday – Odegaard scored twice, along with goals for Jurrien Timber, Mikel Merino, Ethan Nwaneri, Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori.

 

The emphatic win means that Arsenal can start planning for a trip to Madrid, as they are set to take on the winner of the tie between Real and Atletico, which finished 2-1 to Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Next week’s second leg takes place at Atletico.

 

Nwaneri shows why he’s earned Arteta’s trust

Ethan Nwaneri celebrates scoring for Arsenal against PSV Eindhoven

Image caption, Ethan Nwaneri scored his eighth goal of the season

Arsenal’s excellent 17-year-old Nwaneri again showed why there is so much hype and excitement about his future in the game.

 

The academy graduate has been given the task of filling in for Bukayo Saka on the right hand side of Arsenal’s attack while the England international is out injured. The teenager has repaid that faith in him with eight goals in 28 games in all competitions.

 

That goal return puts him alongside some of England’s most iconic young players.

 

Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney scored nine goals each in all competitions when they were aged 17 or younger and Nwaneri now has 16 days before his 18th birthday to try to match or beat that record.

 

“I don’t think that he needs any pushing. You see every time what the intention is,” Arteta said. “If it comes, it comes and it’s great.

 

“I’m really impressed with the way he behaved and the way he played. It’s about consistency and now doing it again three days later in another big stadium.”

 

Nwaneri also became the third youngest player to score a goal in a knockout stage match in the Champions League after Bojan in April 2008 (17 and 217 days) and Jude Bellingham in April 2021 (17 and 289 days).

 

“He’s 17 years old and he’s on the biggest stage,” Rice said.

 

“We’ve taken [the youngsters] under our wing and they deserve to be playing. You should see them train they way they have no fear and want to perform.

 

“Even if Saka was here Ethan would be still getting minutes because he’s that good and works so hard in training. We have so many top young players.”

 

Nwaneri was joined in the starting XI by his team-mate from the academy Myles Lewis-Skelly and the 18-year-old also impressed despite being withdrawn in the first half to avoid him getting sent off.

 

Lewis-Skelly, who had been booked earlier, put in a late tackle on Richard Ledezma and although he was unpunished, Arteta substituted him moments later.

 

“They play like they have been here for many years,” captain Odegaard said.

 

“So much quality and confidence, they’re ready for it. I’m not worried about them, we enjoy having them in the team and they have a great attitude.”

 

Odegaard, who himself started playing senior football at 15 years old, believes that Lewis-Skelly can use his early withdrawal as a learning experience.

 

“He took that really well,” he added. “He knew it was a tricky position to be in. He was on a yellow and had a tough challenge too. He took it well and we’re all there to support and I’m sure he will learn from that too.”

 

Arsenal caught up in PSV Champions League mind games as Thomas Partey transfer update given

Jurrien Timber – Leaping high to give Arsenal the lead inside the first 20 minutes of the match, excellent desire and height on the jump before heading past Walter Benitez. 9

 

William Saliba – His talents were rarely called into action on the night as he managed the likes of Lang well, keeping his danger to a distance and distributing comfortably. There was a strong moment in the second half where he repelled the efforts of the PSV left. 7

 

Gabriel Magalhaes – Big block in the second half to deny former Tottenham forward Ivan Perisic a goal and missed the chance to score himself in the second period. 8

 

Myles Lewis-Skelly – Back into the team and back amongst the goal contributions with the perfect assist to his Hale End teammate Ethan Nwaneri. However, after wrongly receiving the first yellow, how the 18-year-old avoids yet another red card I will never know – he should not have made it to the half-time whistle and he didn’t but only because he was taken off by Arteta. 6

 

Thomas Partey – Another moment of carelessness from the Ghanaian who felt the need to bring Luuk de Jong down in the box, gifting the home side a penalty. 5

 

Declan Rice – A foot prevented Declan Rice’s outside-of-the-box strike from giving the Gunners the lead. He would, however, redeem that with a gorgeous cross on his left foot to Timber, the perfect height, weight and dip on the ball. An excellent overall display and now back to more of what Arsenal fans would be expecting. 8

 

Martin Odegaard – Denied the chance of a penalty kick in the first half after some good movement into the box, VAR checked and cleared, but it was up for debate. He scored his second with a powerful strike from outside the box before slipping in Calafiori to score the seventh Arsenal goal of the night. 9

 

Ethan Nwaneri – A massive goal for the 17-year-old on the biggest of stages, finishing beautifully with a first-time touch off his former youth teammate’s cross. He had other chances in the game and was a constant threat throughout. 8

 

Leandro Trossard – A great pass into Myles Lewis-Skelly for the second goal, threading the needle to the full-back, who set up Nwaneri. He would then turn scorer in the second half, a mesmeric backheel nutmeg to Calafiori before getting the ball back and chipping over Benitez. 8

 

Mikel Merino – While the goal was something of a gift, Mikel Merino certainly finished with the comfortableness of a seasoned centre-forward. Outside of the goal, he was not involved in too many other major moments. 6

 

 

Riccardo Calafiori – Replacing Myles Lewis-Skelly before the half-time whistle. His impact came early at the start of the second half, playing through Leandro Trossard to score the Gunners’ fifth of the night. He then ran through at the top of the field, like a striker, and slotted in like he’d been doing it for years. 8

 

Raheem Sterling – Came on, lost the ball twice and did little else. 4

 

 

 

Arsenal caught up in PSV Champions League mind games as Thomas Partey transfer update given

The likelihood that Arsenal will sign Joshua Kimmich has increased.With his Bayern Munich contract set to expire at the end of the current campaign, the 30-year-old midfielder’s future at the Allianz Arena is becoming more and more questionable.

Foreign clubs have had the opportunity to begin pre-contract negotiations with Kimmich over a free transfer in the summer since the beginning of the new year.

The Bavarians resisted being pressured into a sale of the Germany international during the January transfer window.

Bayern maintained their position, but they may now lose out on millions.

Kimmich will be free to depart and the Bundesliga powerhouses will not be eligible for a compensation fee if he does not sign an extension.

The wonderkid from Arsenal Max Dowman uses the legendary Man Utd moment to deliver a clear message to Mikel Arteta.

READ MORE: Donald Trump meets with Keir Starmer and responds to a question on Arsenal in three words The Emirates Stadium has been suggested as a possible destination because the German has not yet signed a new contract and Arsenal is looking for a deal. Florian Plettenberg, a writer for Sky Sports, claims that the Gunners are interested in signing Kimmich because they see him as a Jorginho substitute.

According to the source, Vincent Kompany’s team has been informed that the Bayern star has already received a written offer from an unidentified Premier League team.

Kimmich reportedly has an offer from an overseas club as well.

According to German outlet BILD, Bayern had offered the versatile midfielder a new deal, but the proposal was withdrawn after failing to agree on a signing bonus fee.

The report claims the Bavarians will not increase their previous offer, and they’re only prepared to put the original deal back on the table.

For comparison, Capology estimates that Kimmich would surpass Kai Havertz, who now tops the lists and earns approximately £14.5 million annually, as the highest paid player at Arsenal.

However, it is still unclear if the Bayern star would be amenable to joining the Gunners.

Kimmich gave a succinct update about his future in June 2024. “The situation is absolutely clear,” he told reporters.

It is not primarily my responsibility to be active at the moment because I have a contract with Bayern that expires in 2025.

There will be a discussion after the European Championship, which is my only priority.”

A few months later, Kimmich hinted at the possibility of moving to Barcelona.

“I’m not thinking about that, but you should never rule anything out in life and in football,” he remarked in response to the question of whether he would consider joining the Catalan giants.

“Spain as a national team and Barcelona had a significant influence.

I always followed the games with Pep as the coach and the Tiki-Taka since Xavi Hernandez was my childhood hero. They served as an example.

On Hansi Flick, who he’s previously worked with for club and country, Kimmich added: “Hansi created a good spirit back then.

He gave the players and everyone around us a lot of trust. Also at times when there were doubts, including we players in ourselves.

“We then played spectacular football that we all loved. We created a dynamic, we believed in what sort of football we were playing. That was what that time was about.

” On his future at Bayern, Kimmich concluded: “Everyone knows I’m in talks with the club. What I discuss with the club remains internal. I won’t talk about it in a press conference.”

 

Former Arsenal star Martin Keown has given a positive update regarding the progress of key duo Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on the injury front.

 

The pair are two of four absences in the forward line for Mikel Arteta, who is having difficulties picking his best-attacking options for the campaign.

 

The centre-forward duo of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are out injured for the season, coming as a blow for the remaining games.

 

There is some hope for Arsenal in terms of returning options though, with Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury and Gabriel Martinelli’s hamstring tear keeping them sidelined but a return is expected in the coming weeks.

 

With the Premier League title and Champions League both still up for grabs, some positive injury news from Martin Keown comes as a huge boost.

 

Martin Keown shares positive Arsenal injury update

With Arsenal’s campaign hanging in the balance, Arteta will be hoping that some of his key stars can return in time to land some big wins.

 

The head coach will be particularly keen to have Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka available once again to change up the front line.

 

The pair are hopeful of a return over the coming weeks, with any time between March and April expected for the duo.

 

 

Bukayo Saka has been spotted back in training, while it remains to be seen when Martinelli could make his return.

 

On top of that, Arsenal legend Martin Keown has revealed a positive update, stating on TNT Sports about the injured forwards: “Martinelli they tell me is going well in training as well as Saka, but they’re not available tonight.”

 

There are some big games before both Saka and Martinelli are expected to be back, with the rest of the squad key in keeping Arsenal in the competitions they need to be if their stars can make an impact.

 

Arsenal must setup Champions League ties for Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli returns

Arsenal face an important week for their campaign, not only in the Premier League in terms of making the top four and keeping pressure on leaders Liverpool, but also in their Champions League hopes.

 

The Champions League round of 16 awaits with PSV Eindhoven across two legs in early March, where a victory is expected.

 

 

 

Arsenal youth striker Khayon Edwards was one of the academy players to join first-team training on Tuesday, ahead of the midweek match against Nottingham Forest.

Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, looks on during the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Arsenal FC at the Brentford Community Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

 

Jeorge Bird reports for Arsenal Youth that seven Arsenal academy players were involved in first-team training with Mikel Arteta’s side on Tuesday, with striker Khayon Edwards among the group.

 

Nathan Butler-Oyedeji also remains involved, as well as winger Ismeal Kabia. Right-back Josh Nichols, midfielder Ismail Oulad M’Hand, Michal Rosiak (who can play at both right-back and in midfield), and goalkeeper Tommy Setford were all involved in the session as well.

 

Arsenal have an extra squad spot on Wednesday as a result of Myles Lewis-Skelly’s suspension, so it’s likely one of the above players will join Butler-Oyedeji in getting a first-team call-up to travel to Nottingham.

 

arsenal fc v west ham united fc premier league 7

Arteta will probably call up forward players, given the current senior injury crisis in the front three.

 

Kabia is the most likely to step up, having made his first-team debut earlier in the season. Butler-Oyedeji would be the youth centre-forward option with Kabia as an option on the wing.

 

But calling up Edwards wouldn’t be any more restrictive. Butler-Oyedeji can also play out wide, so with Edwards and Butler-Oyedeji, Arteta would still have at least one central option and one wide option.

 

Khayon Edwards and Charles Sagoe Jr. celebrate a goal for the Arsenal u21s (Photo via Arsenal.com)

 

Edwards hasn’t been given any chances in the Arsenal first-team squad this season, but he’s scored and assisted 12 goals in 12 games in the Premier League 2 with the u21s.

 

That’s the kind of form that saw Butler-Oyedeji called up, so maybe Edwards could be the next in line.

 

 

 

Takehiro Tomiyasu has played just six minutes of football for Arsenal this season, and it now appears that will be his only contribution to the campaign. The defender has endured a torrid time with injuries in recent months, and despite his efforts to return to full fitness, setbacks have continued to plague him.

Earlier in the season, Tomiyasu underwent surgery, which allowed him to make a brief return to action. However, after playing just six competitive minutes, he did not react well to his time on the pitch and was sidelined once again. His struggle to regain full fitness has left Arsenal with no choice but to explore further medical options.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, the club have now decided that another surgery was necessary, and Tomiyasu has undergone the procedure in a bid to address his persistent injury issues. As a result, he is expected to miss the remainder of the season as he focuses on rehabilitation and recovery. The hope is that this latest intervention will allow him to return to the squad fully fit at the start of the next campain.

Tomiyasu has proven to be one of Arsenal’s strongest and most dependable defenders when available, but his injury troubles have severely limited his impact. His absence has been felt, and the club will be hoping this latest surgery provides a lasting solution to his ongoing fitness concerns.

It is crucial that he is given the time to recover properly, ensuring that when he does return, he is able to perform at his best without the risk of further setbacks. If everything goes to plan, Arsenal could have a fully fit Tomiyasu back in their squad next season, ready to contribute once again.