A round-up of the latest Arsenal news as Liverpool defender Joe Gomez makes a big claim about Bukayo Saka and Rio Ferdinand questions the Gunners’ transfer stance.
Jamie Carragher has Jude Bellingham in hysterics with Declan Rice claim
Jamie Carragher has had Jude Bellingham in hysterics by claiming Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice would get into his Team of the Year over the Real Madrid superstar. The Liverpool hero joked with Bellingham that it would be an ‘easy choice’ to select the Gunners star over him.
The England midfielders moved clubs last summer as Arsenal paid West Ham United a club-record fee for Rice and Real Madrid signed Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. Bellingham has even emerged as the new King of La Liga since arriving to Spain as the Galacticos’ jewel.
Bellingham has offered Real Madrid 17 goals and five assists in just 22 appearances from an attacking midfield role. He even leads La Liga with 13 goals in 17 games. Rice has three goals in 29 games at Arsenal with key efforts against Manchester United, Chelsea and Luton Town.
But Carragher believes Rice made the bigger impact in 2023 after also captaining West Ham to the Europa Conference League title. Bellingham nearly helped Borussia Dortmund lift the Bundesliga as their vice-captain. But BVB fell short in the final game through goal difference.
“This is the easiest choice I’ve had to make,” Carragher joked on CBS Sports. “I’m going to pick a young superstar from England, who has lit the Champions League alight this season. For me, it has to be only one man. I’m going to choose… Declan Rice!”
Read more about what Carragher has had to say about Rice and Bellingham, here.
Liverpool’s Joe Gomez admits it’s ‘tough’ to play Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka
Liverpool defender Gomez has admitted that it is ‘tough’ to play against Arsenal winger Saka after facing him in the FA Cup on Sunday. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp lined Gomez up as a left-back at Emirates Stadium. But Saka had the better of the centre-half in a handful of clashes.
Saka was unable to punish Gomez, though, as Arsenal fell to a 2-0 defeat in the third round. He took the Gunners’ second-most shots to Kai Havertz (6) with five but only forced Alisson Becker to make one save. Saka has scored nine times over 27 games this season, though.
The Arsenal academy product has also laid on 12 assists in all competitions so far this term. Yet he has now gone two matches against Gomez and Liverpool without a goal involvement after December’s 1-1 draw. But what Saka showed in those encounters did impress Gomez.
“It’s tough playing against Bukayo Saka,” Gomez said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo. “He’s obviously a top player and a direct winger.
“It’s not often the case these days in the Premier League but he’s one that will stay wide to pick up the ball and drive at you. It was tough and I knew it was going to be having played against him so recently.”
Read more about what Liverpool’s Gomez has had to say about Arsenal’s Saka, here.
Rio Ferdinand thinks there’s ‘no way’ Reiss Nelson’s transfer would fetch £20m
Manchester United icon Ferdinand thinks there is ‘no way’ that Arsenal could demand £20m for Reiss Nelson’s transfer in January. He has called the 24-year-old’s future in north London into question after the Hale End product made his 18th outing of the campaign last Sunday.
Nelson came into Mikel Arteta’s XI against Liverpool for only his fourth start this season. The forward also spurned a smattering of chances to score before going off for Gabriel Martinelli on 62 minutes. He only has one goal and two assists to the attacker’s name so far this term.
Sevilla and Wolves have shown an interest in signing Nelson on loan from Arsenal in January, though, per CBS Sports. But the winger is minded to stay at the Emirates and fight for a spot in Arteta’s squad. The Gunners would also be unlikely to target a new winger if Nelson stays.
But should Arsenal now decide to sell Nelson in January to boost Arteta’s budget, Ferdinand questions the fee the Gunners can demand. He also notes the £15m that Nottingham Forest paid Manchester United for Anthony Elanga last July as a comparable price range for Nelson.
“£15m maybe,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel. “No way £20m. Elanga, how much did he go for? We’re talking about levels here. Elanga plays for Sweden, as well, by the way. Elanga’s done more at [the] Premier League level than Reiss Nelson.”
Manchester United sold Elanga to Nottingham Forest following 55 appearances in their first-team squad. He also offered just four goals and four assists but had earnt 12 of his 13 caps for Sweden. Nelson has offered Arsenal a total of eight goals and nine assists in 83 matches.
Read more about what Ferdinand said about Arsenal’s asking price for Nelson, here.
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