A round-up of the latest Arsenal news as Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim sends a message over Viktor Gyokeres as Mikel Arteta targets the striker’s transfer in January.
David Seaman tells Arsenal to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins
David Seaman has now urged Arsenal to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins in January. The Gunners hero believes the north London outfit need another goalscorer as Gabriel Jesus has proven frustrating this season. He has also only scored twice over 11 Premier League games.
But Jesus has mostly frustrated Seaman with his tendency to vacate the central third of their attack. The Arsenal legend believes Arteta would benefit from having an out-and-out striker like Watkins over a forward who likes to drift wide and create the space for others to exploit.
“[Watkins] is a good shout,” Seaman said on his Seaman Says podcast “Yeah, because he’s a box striker. He doesn’t get too involved in the build-up play, which I like.
“I sometimes see Jesus too far out, and I’m like: ‘No, get back in the middle!’ It’s something everyone is talking about. Getting a new striker would boost the team.”
Watkins has piqued Arsenal’s interest with Arteta open to targeting the transfer of a striker in January, per Football Transfers. The Gunners’ sporting director, Edu, has even spoken to the 27-year-old’s agent Paulo Vernazza. But the Villans have also given Watkins a new contract.
Read more about what Seaman has said about Watkins and Arsenal’s transfer needs, here.
Oleksandr Zinchenko thinks Arsenal have an ‘amazing’ figure in Nicolas Jover
Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko thinks the Emirates Stadium team have an ‘amazing’ figure in their set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover. The German-born Frenchman has stunned the Ukraine hero with his efforts at London Colney to turn Gunners into experts from set-pieces.
Jover has been a key member of Arsenal’s coaching staff since July 2021 after reuniting with Arteta. They had worked together at Manchester City before Arteta left Etihad Stadium for a return to Arsenal to replace Unai Emery. Jover had joined the Citizens’ staff during July 2019.
Arsenal were only the 17th-best club in the Premier League for scoring goals from set-pieces (6) during the 2020/21 season. But they ranked third in 2021/22 (16), fourth in 2022/23 (15) and even rank first this season (9), per WhoScored, with Jover’s work delighting Zinchenko.
“He is amazing, honestly,” Zinchenko noted, via quotes by the Arsenal website. “[He is] an amazing professional [and] an amazing person, as well.
“You can see it every single day at the training ground. The way he works, he’s absolutely professional in terms of everything and he’s working so hard. He’s trying to improve us on set-pieces and we’re learning.”
Read more about what Zinchenko has had to say about Arsenal coach Jover, here.
Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim responds to Arsenal’s interest in Viktor Gyokeres
Sporting Lisbon manager Amorim has responded to claims that Arsenal are interested in the transfer of Gyokeres in January. Portuguese publication Record credited the Gunners with an interest in the striker last week, noting that Arteta put the 25-year-old on the club’s shortlist.
Arsenal have also sent a scout to watch Gyokeres more than once this season after he joined from Coventry City for £20m. The 19-cap Sweden star had already caught the Gunners’ eye whilst in the Championship. But he was never a serious target for the Emirates Stadium club.
Everton and Newcastle United also took an interest in Gyokeres this summer but Sporting’s approach was the most appealing. Now, his record of 15 goals and seven assists in 18 games has Arsenal looking again. But while Arteta admires Gyokeres, Sporting want €100m (£85m).
Sporting will only sell Gyokeres in January, amidst rival interest from Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla, if a club triggers the release clause in his contract running to June 2028. Amorim has also now reinforced that stance publicly following Arsenal adding Gyokeres to their shortlist.
“I can’t guarantee anything,” Amorim stated, via quotes by the Express. “What I can say is what they tell me, and that is that any player only leaves through the clause. It’s the only security that clubs in Portugal have.
“Our idea is not to sell anyone in January because we have a full calendar and we need all the players available. I’m calm about that. At this moment, we are only selling due to the clause. It is a different security than last year when [Pedro] Porro left in January.”
Read more about what Amorim has had to say about Gyokeres’ future at Sporting, here.
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