Andrea Berta might have a trick up his sleeve if Arsenal are unable to secure the signing of Eberechi Eze.
Some believe that Eze could win Arsenal the Premier League, with the Crystal Palace star seen as the difference between triumph and falling short again.
Mikel Arteta needs another attacker, with only two of Arsenal’s six summer arrivals adding firepower to the front line.
Signing the £68m target won’t be easy, however, as Tottenham want to sign Eze and just might beat the Gunners to the Englishman’s signature.
Arsenal could look at Xavi Simons
Eze wants to join Arsenal over Spurs, but wouldn’t turn down Thomas Frank’s project if Palace and the Lilywhites struck a deal.
Given that Spurs are showing real intent to sign Eze while Arsenal wait on key sales, there is some concern that the 27-year-old will make N17 home over N5.
Such will naturally worry Arsenal fans, but transfer anxiety could be soothed by a different option.
Speaking on the London Is Blue podcast, journalist Ben Jacobs opened the door to Arsenal’s chances of looking at Xavi Simons.
“Xavi Simons wants the move,” Jacobs said with regard to Chelsea’s interest in Simons.
“I know we’ve heard some recent links with Man City. You can’t discount a hijack bid, but that’s also where Chelsea are keeping their verbal talks discreet and quiet and not making formal bids.”
The journalist then raised that Chelsea could ‘worry’ about other clubs exploring Simons, one of which being Arsenal, should they fail to land Eze.
“If they were to get a formal bid accepted at £55m, the rest of the industry turns around and goes, hang on a minute, Leipzig actually are giving a great deal.
“And that’s when you worry about a Man City, a Bayern, even an Arsenal, if they don’t move for Eberechi Eze as Spurs are now trying for that deal.”
Arsenal have been linked to Simons this summer, who could leave RB Leipzig for a fee in the region of £60m.
How Simons compares to Eberechi Eze
Though the Netherlands international has been linked very strongly to Chelsea, he’s still open for transfer this summer.
The opportunity could arise for Arsenal to swoop in and enquire about the 22-year-old, who has a very similar profile to Eze.
| Statistic | Xavi Simons | Eberechi Eze |
| Appearances | 25 | 34 |
| Goals | 10 | 8 |
| Assists | 7 | 8 |
| Shots p/g | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| Key passes p/g | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| Successful dribbles p/g | 1.3 | 2.0 |
| Big chances created | 12 | 11 |
When comparing the two players’ respective league campaigns in 2024/25, it’s clear to see where they would benefit Arteta’s attack.
Both are playmakers and both have positional versatility, being deployable centrally and in wide areas.
As Jacobs made clear, many Premier League clubs desire Simons this summer, with the Dutchman presenting an alternative for Berta with Eze in mind.
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