Amadou Onana &#8211; CaughtOffside

Liverpool looking to steal 6ft 5in player from Aston Villa

Returning Arsenal star praises key figure who was “very supportive” during lengthy injury

Exclusive: Arsenal transfer target could move for €25-30m, two other clubs have had bids rejected so far

During his two years in Merseyside, Onana, who represented Belgium at this summer’s EUROs, scored four goals and registered three assists in 72 games in all competitions.

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Late Amadou Onana transfer twist has Villa fans shook

Ahad Shaukat — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:11:05 +0000

It has been reported that Man Utd have tried a last minute hijack of Aston Villa’s move to sign Everton midfield player Amadou Onana.

In the summer transfer window, the Red Devils are eager to get a new midfield player, and Manuel Ugarte of Paris Saint-Germain is reported to be their primary target.

Het Nieuwsblad claims that the Premier League giants are trying to hijack Aston Villa’s signing of Amadou Onana from Everton.

Onana will be undergoing his Villa medical this weekend and is still anticipated to complete his move to Villa Park.

The Everton star’s transfer is not in jeopardy, despite the Red Devils’ late bid to sign him.

Het Nieuwsblad has reported that Onana’s move to Villa Park is “almost complete.”

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Man United have already completed the signing of striker Joshua Zirkzee and defender Leny Yoro and now they are actively working hard in the transfer market to sign a new midfielder.

Umai Emery’s team have agreed to pay €60m to sign the Belgian international from Everton this summer.

The midfielder would be coming in as Douglas Luiz’s replacement at the club who has left to join Juventus.

It is a statement signing from Midlands club who will play the Champions League next season after finishing in the top four of the Premier League last season.

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Aston Villa set to complete £50m signing of Premier League star this weekend

Charlie Patrick — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 22:36:49 +0000

Aston Villa are expected to complete the £50m signing of Everton midfielder Amadou Onana this weekend according to reports.

Villa have been busy this summer as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of a Champions League campaign next season.

Ian Maatsen, Ross Barkley, Samuel Iling Junior, Enzo Barrenechea and Lewis Dobbin have all arrived whilst Jaden Philogene is set to complete his return to the club imminently from Hull City.

Villa to complete Onana deal this weekend

Villa agreed a deal last weekend with Everton worth £50m for the Belgium international, and he’s some what of a marquee signing for the club.

The Telegraph report that Onana is set to complete his move to Villa Park this weekend and will undergo a medical at the club’s training ground following his break after Euro 2024.

Onana is set to complete his switch to Villa this weekend.

The report adds that the 22-year-old, who was a key target for Unai Emery will sign a long term contract at the club, and is set to be available for Villa’s pre-season tour of America later this month.

Onana arrived at Everton from French side Lille in 2022 and has impressed over his two seasons at Goodison Park, with his performances seeing him linked with moves to Chelsea and Arsenal.

The Belgian made 37 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees last season, scoring three goals as the club finished 15th following a points deduction.

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Onana is likely viewed as a replacement for Douglas Luiz after the Brazilian moved to Juventus, and Villa have a strong set of options in the middle of the park, which includes the likes of Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara.

However, Villa could be set to lose Moussa Diaby just a year after signing him, with Al-Ittihad in advanced talks over a move for the 25-year-old, who picked the Premier League over going to Saudi Arabia last summer.

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Transfer news: Man United midfielder’s future, “quality” Arsenal target, Barcelona eye winger & more

Fabrizio Romano — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 15:30:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Man United to decide on Sofyan Amrabat next week, plus more ins and outs at Old Trafford

Willy Kambwala is leaving Manchester United on a permanent transfer to Villarreal. The young defender had one year left on his contract and wasn’t negotiating a new deal, he wanted to play and now he’s going to play in Spain. Villarreal are set to pay €10m to Manchester United, and then give a five-year contract to the player, with a sell-on clause and also a buy-back clause for Man United.

The medical is expected to take place in the next 24-48 hours, with Man United keeping control of the player for the future, and this happens as they continue to make progress on the Matthijs de Ligt deal. Meanwhile, another departure from United we already know about is Raphael Varane, and he has now said yes to a move to Como, subject to a medical.

There will also be a decision next week on Sofyan Amrabat, so it depends on United, they will decide next week. This is what all sources say, it’s not clear yet because it only depends on United decision. The player has already given his green light to the move. In any case, he could leave Fiorentina because he wants to try a different project.

There have also been transfer rumours about Man United and Xavi Simons. My understanding remains that two clubs are still leading the race – Bayern and RB Leipzig. These two clubs are pushing, and their advantage is that they have been pushing for a long time, for the last few months.

Xavi Simons has already decided to leave Paris Saint-Germain on loan, and he will probably leave on a permanent transfer next summer. It’s 99% over between PSG and Simons, and as I’ve said before, one key figure to watch is Max Eberl, the former Leipzig director who’s now at Bayern, as he’s pushing to sign Simons again after bringing him on loan to Leipzig last year.

Leipzig, however, are also in the race and can offer Simons a role as an important part of their squad. The Dutch midfielder had a very good loan there last season, they are an ambitious club, as they’ve shown by keeping Benjamin Sesko, and so they want to try to keep Simons as well.

So what about United? It’s true that they have an interest in Simons, and they asked for information on his situation after confirming that Erik ten Hag is staying as manager. They are not leading the race because they joined quite late, as both Bayern and Leipzig have been there since April. Another club to ask about Simons was Newcastle, but again this was late, just a few days ago, so this is why Bayern and Leipzig remain the two favourites.

Finally on United, Jadon Sancho keeps being linked with Juventus, though some reports now also suggest they have switched their focus elsewhere. My understanding is that no decision has been made yet on the winger. The first step for Juventus is selling Federico Chiesa and/or Matias Soule, then they will decide which winger they want to sign. Man United will discuss the Sancho situation in the next days, he’s now back with the squad and his feeling with Erik ten Hag in the next weeks will be important to understand more on his future.

Julian Alvarez set for talks over Manchester City future

Another important player to watch this summer will be Julian Alvarez. For now his focus is on the final of Copa America with Argentina, but then there will be a discussion between the player and Manchester City. So far, there has been no intention form Man City to negotiate for Alvarez, they didn’t want to set a price for him.

Although City’s stance has been that they don’t want to let Alvarez go, the player wants to play more. So now City will have to decide, after meeting with Alvarez and his agent, what they want to do next. Clubs like Paris Saint-Germain are waiting to see what will happen with Alvarez, but they don’t want to waste a lot of time in a long negotiation, so they want Man City to decide soon.

Still, for sure the interest from PSG is still there, and Alvarez’s future will depend on the talks with Man City, which will happen very soon after Copa America. Still, I can confirm once again that it won’t be an easy deal because City want to keep Alvarez at the club.

Barcelona focusing on Nico Williams as Aston Villa swoop for Amadou Onana

Soon it’s going to be time to decide the future of Nico Williams, whose time at the Euros will be coming to an end tonight as he prepares for the final clash between Spain and England. Barcelona had an interest in Everton’s Amadou Onana, but he’s now close to joining Aston Villa instead as Barca wanted to save their budget for Nico Williams.

Barcelona really like Onana and spent months discussing this possibility, but they didn’t make a bid and they won’t make a bid at the last minute of the negotiations. Barca want to focus on Nico Williams, and they want to be fast, because they know that top English clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal are keeping a close eye on his situation.

Barcelona now want to start to advance and to push for Williams next week, but one crucial detail is that they might also need to sell one player to make space for Financial Fair Play. They are waiting for the approval of La Liga, though Joan Laporta has already said publicly that they can afford Williams, so they will go for it in the next days, but selling one player could help them to be faster.

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It’s really concrete – Barca want to use their budget for Williams, he’s the top target approved by new manager Hansi Flick, and so things are hotting up on this story.

Credit as well to Aston Villa because they did an excellent job on Onana. They had the most concrete interest and they worked well behind the scenes to present the proposal at the right moment. There was interest from Barcelona, but also from PSG, though their focus is on dream target Joao Neves.

In other news…

Riccardo Calafiori – The Bologna defender is still waiting for Arsenal as the clubs try to reach an agreement on the transfer fee. If it goes through it should be a superb signing for Arsenal as Calafiori is an excellent defender – he can play centre-back or left-back, has an excellent left foot, can provide assists and score goals as he did for Bologna last season. Quality is the best word to describe him. He’s a centre-back but has quality to help the squad in the build up like midfielders.

Pepe – Veteran Porto and Portugal defender Pepe has not decided anything on his future yet, despite links with La Liga club Celta Vigo. He’s considering many options, and in June he was always approached by Saudi clubs, but at the moment he’s still not decided anything and he wants to take his time.

Euro 2024 final – I’m not good at score predictions so I leave this one, but I’m really looking forward to tonight’s final between Spain and England. I’m sure the game is going to be on players like Phil Foden and Lamine Yamal. More than in midfield, quality on the wing is gonna be key to win individual duels and win the game. It’s going to be exciting between two top teams, two closely-matched sides, and I could see it even going to penalties!

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Exclusive: Aston Villa praised for excellent business to land Barcelona transfer target

Mark Brus — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 10:04:30 +0000

Transfer news journalist Fabrizio Romano has heaped praise onto Aston Villa for their smart work to win the race for the signing of Everton midfielder Amadou Onana ahead of Barcelona this summer.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for the latest edition of his Daily Briefing column, Romano explained that although Barcelona looked at Onana for some time, they ultimately decided against signing the Belgium international as their full focus is on a move for Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams instead.

Onana is now set to move to Villa instead, and Romano praised the Midlands outfit for the way they moved at the right time for the 22-year-old, who will surely prove to be a fine signing for Unai Emery’s side.

It was a blow for AVFC to lose Douglas Luiz this summer, but Onana should be a superb replacement, and it’s clear he could have easily been good enough to join even bigger clubs such as Barca.

Amadou Onana is set to join Aston Villa

Onana transfer: Romano praises Villa for beating Barca to Everton star

“Soon it’s going to be time to decide the future of Nico Williams, whose time at the Euros will be coming to an end tonight as he prepares for the final clash between Spain and England. Barcelona had an interest in Everton’s Amadou Onana, but he’s now close to joining Aston Villa instead as Barca wanted to save their budget for Nico Williams,” Romano said.

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“Barcelona really like Onana and spent months discussing this possibility, but they didn’t make a bid and they won’t make a bid at the last minute of the negotiations. Barca want to focus on Nico Williams.”

He added: “Credit as well to Aston Villa because they did an excellent job on Onana. They had the most concrete interest and they worked well behind the scenes to present the proposal at the right moment. There was interest from Barcelona, but also from PSG, though their focus is on dream target Joao Neves.”

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Aston Villa set to beat Arsenal, Barcelona to £50m summer transfer

CJ — Sat, 13 Jul 2024 14:54:05 +0000

Aston Villa are closing in on the signing of Everton midfielder Amadou Onana, according to reports.

Onana joined the Toffees from French side Lille for £33m (per BBC Sport) in August 2022 and has made 72 appearances across all competitions since, notching four goals and three assists.

The 22-year-old also played all four games for his country as Belgium reached the last 16 of the European Championship this summer before being knocked out by France.

Onana has been an important player for Everton boss Sean Dyche over the last 18 months but has recently been heavily linked with a move away from Goodison Park.

Arsenal were thought to be close to signing Onana earlier this year but a move failed to transpire, while Barcelona also showed interest.

Now, however, BBC Sport report that Aston Villa are entering ‘advanced talks’ to sign the midfielder in a £50m deal.

Unai Emery has been in the market for a new midfielder since Douglas Luiz was sold to Juventus in June and has the added bonus of being able to offer Champions League football to any potential signing following Villa’s fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season.

Onana the new Fellaini?

Amadou Onana of Everton looks on during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Sheffield United at Goodison Park on May 11, 2024 in Liverpool, England.

Onana has shown great leadership despite his young age, so much so that Belgium boss Roberto Martinez gave him the captain’s armband during a 3-2 friendly win over Germany in March 2023.

Indeed, former Toffees Martinez has been full of praise for Onana during his time in charge of the Red Devils, even likening him to another ex-Everton midfielder in Marouane Fellaini.

“Someone with such physical presence and dynamism is needed, just think of [Marouane] Fellaini in 2018,” Martinez said in late 2022 (via Goodison News).

“He is also a leader on the pitch who has made strides in his career. From Germany, to France and now the Premier League… He deserves this.”

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Exclusive: What Christian Falk has now heard about Bayern and Arsenal target Amadou Onana

Farrell Keeling — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 10:59:55 +0000

Bayern are still considered more than interested in Joao Palhinha and would like to sign the Fulham star this summer.

The Bavarian giants, however, appear likely to only post one final offer for the Portuguese international’s services.

At which point, failure to land the holding midfielder could see the Bundesliga outfit pursue Everton’s Amadou Onana as an alternative.

“FC Bayern would still like to sign Joao Palhinha from Fulham. The third offer should still be the last. The club does not want to pay a total of more than €46m for the player,” Christian Falk wrote in his exclusive Fact Files column with CaughtOffside.

“Because Fulham wants more money, FC Bayern recently looked at Hakan Calhanoglu from Inter Milan. But the Italians also didn’t want to let the player go for less than €50m. Calhanoglu would have loved to come to FC Bayern. Only when it became clear that the move was failing due to finances did he make it clear by post that he wanted to stay at Inter.

“Bayern is therefore continuing to look for alternatives if Palhinha doesn’t work out. Amadou Onana from Everton is now an issue again. The Munich team now knows that Onana can leave for £52m [€61.4m at the current exchange rate]. The sum is higher than Palhinha, but Onana is also younger at 22 years old. The money would therefore be invested for the longer term.”

The Belgian’s current terms with the Toffees are set to expire in the summer of 2027.

Who else likes Amadou Onana?

Amadou Onana in Euros action – (Photo by THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images)

It’s worth pointing out that Bayern Munich won’t necessarily have a clear run at Onana in the current window.

Most clubs are remaining patient ahead of the end of international tournaments, and in the meantime, Arsenal are said to be keeping a close eye on the Belgian international.

It’s just a ‘monitoring‘ stage as things currently stand, but things can, of course, quickly develop in the market.

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have also been linked with a potential move for the Bayern target, though it remains to be seen how the Villans will deploy their funds this summer.

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Belgium 2-0 Romania: Player ratings as Man City man & Arsenal target deliver masterclasses

CJ — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 21:01:47 +0000

Belgium got their Euro 2024 campaign back on track with a 2-0 win over Romania in Cologne on Saturday evening.

The Red Devils needed a big performance following a shock 1-0 defeat to Slovakia last time out and got exactly what they wanted, with Youri Tielemans opening the scoring from distance after just 73 seconds.

Romelu Lukaku was a threat all night — providing the assist for Tielemans — and saw a third strike of the tournament disallowed by VAR, this time for offside. Nevertheless, Kevin De Bruyne was able to finish the job late on, running behind the Romanian defence and coolly finishing.

The result leaves all four teams in Group E level on three points heading into the final game, blowing things wide open.

Here are the full player ratings on an important evening for Belgium:

Belgium vs Romania player ratings – Euro 2024

Belgium (4-2-3-1)

Koen Casteels – 8/10 – Made some vital saves to deliver three massive points for Belgium.

Timothy Castagne – 7/10 – Focused on his defensive work more in the second half, but provided a good attacking outlet in the opening 45 minutes.

Wout Faes – 8/10 – Needed a big performance after struggling against Slovakia and delivered just that. Made a match-high three tackles, as well as two clearances, two interceptions and two recoveries. Also completed the most passes (65) in the match.

Jan Vertonghen – 7/10 – His experience added much-needed composure to the Belgian backline.

Arthur Theate – 8/10 – Dynamic with and without the ball, making 10 passes into the final third and creating one chance while also registering two tackles, four clearances and five aerial duels won from seven attempts. Limped off near the end but hopefully nothing serious.

Youri Tielemans – 8/10 – Returned to the starting line-up in style with an excellent strike after just 73 seconds. Was dynamic and progressive on the ball throughout.

Amadou Onana – 8/10 – Set the tempo brilliantly in the midfield with some pin-point passing and driving runs. Made three tackles and four recoveries to disrupt Romania. It’s little wonder he’s wanted by Arsenal. According to the Daily Mail, Everton want £50m for Onana. On the evidence of this performance, the Gunners should go and grab their cheque book!

Jeremy Doku – 9/10 – The Manchester City winger was a menace with his pace, attempting eight dribbles and creating a match-high five chances. Was involved in the build-up to Tieleman’s goal, too.

Kevin De Bruyne – 9/10 – Won more duels than any other player on the pitch, with 11 on the ground and one in the air. Created three chances and attempted five shots, finally getting his much-deserved goal in the 80th minute to kill the game. As Clive Tyldesley said in commentary, ‘class is permanent’.

Dodi Lukebakio – 6/10 – Plenty of pace and threat, but fluffed a couple of very decent chances, lacking composure at the vital moment. Suspended for the third group game after picking up another yellow card.

Romelu Lukaku – 8/10 – What does Lukaku have to do to get a goal in these Euros? Five more attempted shots and his third disallowed strike of the tournament for a narrow offside. At least registered an assist for Tielemans’ opener.

Substitutes:

Leandro Trossard (56′, for Lukebakio) – 3/10 – Drew visible fury from his teammates for holding onto the ball too long on multiple occasions. Could have had a couple of assists if he’d just played the simple pass at the right time.

Orel Mangala (72′, for Tielemans) – 6/10 – Didn’t see much of the ball but helped Belgium see the result out.

Yannick Carrasco (72′, for Doku) – 7/10 – Provided a good boost for the final quarter of the match. Should have been played in by Trossard.

Zeno Debast (77′, for Theate) – 6/10 – Did exactly what was required to keep Romania out.

Romania (4-1-4-1)

Florin Nita – 7/10 – The scoreline would have been much worse for Romania without the efforts of Nita in net.

Andrei Ratiu – 5/10 – Tried to offer an attacking outlet but was all too often pinned back by Doku.

Radu Dragusin – 7/10 – Put his body on the line to try and keep Romania in the game but needed help from those around him.

Andrei Burca – 4/10 – Failed to deal with a long ball down the middle on the De Bruyne goal, summing up the struggles he had up against a fluid Belgian attack.

Nicusor Bancu – 5/10 – Found it tough dealing with Belgium’s pace and dynamism.

Marius Marin – 5/10 – Tidy with the ball but looked all at sea without it. Dribbled past three times and committed three fouls.

Dennis Man – 4/10 – Fluffed a few decent chances in the second half and lost 10 of his 14 combined ground and aerial duels.

Razvan Marin – 7/10 – Romania’s best player with the ball and made four tackles and four recoveries to try and keep Belgium at bay.

Nicolae Staniciu – 6/10 – Tried to provide some composure on the ball but was often swept aside by a much more athletic Belgian midfield.

Valentin Mihaila – 5/10 – Provided a threat with his pace but continuously fluffed his lines in the vital moments, especially with his miss inside the box just after half-time.

Denis Dragus – 4/10 – Failed to attempt a shot or create a chance. A very isolated figure.

Substiutes:

Ianis Hagi (68′, for Mihaila) – 6/10 – Looked busy but unable to provide a defining touch.

Darius Olaru (68′, for Marin) – 6/10 – Offered a little more quality on the ball but couldn’t find a breakthrough.

Denis Alibec (81′, for Dragus) – 6/10 – One shot on goal, but nothing else.

Deian Sorescu (90′, for Ratiu) – 5/10 – Not enough time to get into the game.

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Arsenal transfer news: Onana £50m links, Xavi Simons loan, potential sale to Newcastle & more

Charles Watts — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 21:05:00 +0000

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Amadou Onana linked with Arsenal again, but is he good enough?

Amadou Onana is a player who has consistently been linked with Arsenal over the past 12 months.

There were strong reports in January that talks were at an advanced stage, although I was always told that wasn’t the case and that nothing was close to happening at that stage. Whether that changes this summer remains to be seen, but it may be one to keep an eye on.

We know Arsenal are in the market for at least one midfielder this summer and Onana is one of a number of players they have been monitoring.

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There is a lot to like about him as a player and Arsenal know first hand just how good he can be when he is at his best.

I’ll always remember his performance against Arsenal at Goodison last year. It was Sean Dyche’s first game in charge of Everton and Onana was absolutely exceptional.

It was one of the best midfield performances I’ve seen from a player. I was sitting in the press box at Goodison watching him thinking ‘this guy is incredible’. He was absolutely everywhere. He was strong, physical, he was running box to box, winning tackles and driving Everton forward. It was one of those individual performances from a player that just sticks in your mind.

The thing with Onana, when you talk to people who watch him week in, week out, is that those types of performances are few and far between.

He can be excellent on his day, but then he can be quite ordinary for a few weeks in a row. And that would be my worry about Arsenal signing him, especially if he were to be the only midfielder to arrive this summer.

In my opinion, Arsenal need a midfielder who can come in and immediately raise the ceiling of this team and I’m not sure he does that. I think he would be a work in progress, someone Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff would have to really work on to get the best out of him consistently.

It could be a good market opportunity though. I’m not an expert when it comes to Everton’s financial issues right now, but it seems pretty clear that they are struggling again with PSR issues and a big sale could be needed.

They clearly don’t want to lose Jarrad Branthwaite, so they could be open to letting Onana go if anyone comes knocking for the Belgian international.

A price tag of around £50m is being mentioned and that could be appealing to interested clubs given his age and profile.

It’s one of those market opportunities that could tempt clubs into making a move. Whether that’s Arsenal, however, remains to be seen.

Xavi Simons could tick a few boxes for Arsenal

Xavi Simons is another player who seems to be constantly being linked with Arsenal.

I have to say, I’ve heard nothing yet to suggest that they will make a move for him, but if PSG are open to letting him out on loan again then I really do think Arsenal should at least enter the conversation.

Simons was excellent for Leipzig last season and he does tick a lot of the boxes Arsenal are looking for when it comes to adding something different to their attacking options.

Arsenal want to bring in someone who has the ability to open up teams out of nothing. There was an acceptance at the club last season that the team did have some issues, especially in really tight games, unlocking a packed defence. The Champions League exit in the second leg in Munich was one of those occasions.

High level figures at the club accepted after that loss that an X-Factor type player was missing from the squad. Someone who had the ability to do something out of nothing that could break open a defence.

Simons has shown he can do that, which does make him an interesting option, even if it is just on loan.

He wouldn’t be my first choice. I think I would prefer someone like Michael Olise to take that role in the squad. But Simons could be another of those tempting market opportunities to keep an eye on this summer.

Arsenal’s switch of focus after Benjamin Sesko transfer blow

How Arsenal react to missing out on Benjamin Sesko is going to be very interesting. I don’t think it’s a given that they just focus their attention on signing another out and out number nine.

We’ve just spoken about Xavi Simons and it wouldn’t surprise me if Arsenal’s focus now will be on bolstering their attacking options by adding someone who can add goals and creativity from out wide.

Kai Havertz’s form having moved up front in the second half of last season has certainly lessened the need for a new central striker.

Havertz was exceptional and he’s already shown from Germany at the Euros that he can continue to play that role.

And Arsenal will certainly be hoping that a summer off will allow Gabriel Jesus to finally get back to peak fitness and that he will start the season in far better shape than he was in last season.

So they do have good options up front and I think they will continue to track Sesko as well. So they won’t just panic and go out and sign a striker just for the sake of it.

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