Arsenal are preparing to face Manchester City in a huge Premier League clash as Mikel Arteta prepares to face his old friend Pep Guardiola once again.
The previous encounter was a feisty affair that ended in a 2-2 draw where Guardiola praised Arteta’s tactics after Leandro Trossard was sent off for delaying the restart by Michael Oliver.
In the aftermath of the game the Gunners were accused of producing the ‘dark arts’ of football with John Stones calling Arsenal ‘dirty’ after he found an equaliser with the last kick of the game.
The build up to this clash has been much more serene, attentions for both clubs have been on the transfer market as Arsenal had a bid rejected for Ollie Watkins. It seems that Mikel Arteta is not giving up on his aim of strengthening his Arsenal squad.
READ MORE: Paul Merson and Chris Sutton have just made the exact same prediction about Arsenal vs Man City
Arsenal interested in signing Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo
According to the Independent, Arsenal are interested in signing Antoine Semenyo from Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth, a player that Arsenal released as a teenager following a trial.
The report claims that Arsenal ‘greatly admire’ Semenyo and is on their list of wide forwards to bring in. The deal may have to be a summer purchase however, given the reluctance of Bournemouth to sell this late in the January window and he is a key component of their impressive season.
Arsenal are set to sign Martin Zubimendi already in the summer and it is widely thought that Benjamin Sesko will also be a priority signing for Arteta come the end of the season.
This doesn’t take away the fact that Arsenal need reinforcements in this window and with Semenyo having scored eight goals in all competitions this season and been in sensational form for his current side.
Semenyo would be an upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard
Should Arsenal manage to bring their interest forward into January, Semenyo would be an upgrade on current wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Trossard.
Semenyo’s pace, power and ability to take on defenders has meant that he has outperformed the Arsenal duo in a number of key attacking metrics this season.
| Key attacking stats this season (per 90) | Semenyo | Martinelli | Trossard |
| Goals | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Shots | 3.97 | 1.71 | 2.37 |
| Expected goals (XG) | 6.8 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| Pass completion | 72.5% | 69.3% | 71.5% |
| Goal creating actions | 0.37 | 0.13 | 0.33 |
Arteta is doing everything he can to bring in another attacking option before the transfer deadline comes and goes, Arsenal are interested in Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich as well as Watkins.
The Gunners want the right fit for their squad and someone who will bring quality to their push for silverware but a body is a must as their attacking talents look jaded and in need of a boost.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
