A round-up of the latest Arsenal news as Mikel Arteta shares an update about Bukayo Saka’s injury before facing Brighton and a Gunner is wanted to replace a rival’s legend.
Mikel Arteta hails Martin Odegaard for setting an ‘outstanding’ standard at Arsenal
Arteta has hailed Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard for setting an ‘outstanding’ standard this season. The Spaniard believes the 25-year-old has taken his game to another level while still guiding the team during the north Londoners’ bid for a first Premier League title in 20 years.
Odegaard has pulled the strings in each of his 27 appearances across Arsenal’s 30 fixtures so far this season. He has also offered six assists and struck the Drammen native’s seventh goal to break the deadlock in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Luton Town at Emirates Stadium.
Arteta has singled Odegaard out for praise since Arsenal’s win over Luton, having shown the Gunners’ squad the way. He will hope the Norway skipper can pull the strings in another win on Saturday when they visit Brighton & Hove Albion with a chance to go back atop the table.
“He’s made huge steps,” Arteta noted, via quotes by the Mirror. “His presence, the way he’s behaving himself in front of the group and the standard that he sets is outstanding. He’s got a lot of players, as well, to support him and the rest to follow with him.”
Read more about what Arteta has had to say about Arsenal captain Odegaard, here.
Leicester City target Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah’s transfer
Leicester City have now entered the race to sign Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah in the summer transfer window. That is according to Football Transfers, which reports that the Foxes are set to battle Brentford and Crystal Palace with club icon Jamie Vardy likely to leave this summer.
King Power Stadium chiefs are ready to use the £150k-a-week in wages that letting Vardy go would create to tempt Nketiah. But Brentford have identified him as a possible replacement for Ivan Toney. Nketiah would also favour the Bees to Crystal Palace, who are long-term fans.
Arsenal are open to selling Nketiah this summer to improve Arteta’s budget and comfortably avoid any FFP concerns. He has featured in 25 of their 30 Premier League fixtures so far. But he only has five goals and last hit home with his hat-trick against Sheffield United in October.
Read more about Leicester’s interest in the transfer of Arsenal striker Nketiah, here.
Mikel Arteta offers an update on Bukayo Saka’s injury
Arteta has issued an update on Arsenal’s injury situation ahead of facing Brighton and claims everyone ‘seems ok’ but Saka will require a late fitness test. The 22-year-old failed a fitness test following a muscular injury to face Luton and was still yet to prove his fitness this Friday.
The Gunners’ 2-0 win over the Hatters with a heavily rotated XI marked just the second time Saka has missed a Premier League fixture this season. He also had to miss their 1-0 win over Manchester City in October with a hamstring injury. But Saka is pushing to return to fitness.
“We’ll know now,” Arteta said in his press conference on Friday. “We have a training session in a few hours and we will know whether he’s fit or not. [Everyone else] seems ok.”
No player has been involved in more goals for Arsenal in the Premier League so far this term than Saka. The Hale End hero leads their charts with 13 goals from 28 appearances, of which he has started each. He has also penned eight assists, yet Arteta thinks more is still possible.
Arteta added on the potential of Saka suffering from burnout: “I’m super positive. I think he’s going to fly and be so decisive. I think [he can return quickly] because he’s so strong, how much he wants it when you talk to him, and how excited he is about what is coming.
“He wants to be there and he’s getting better and better. It’s normal you have little niggles [and] you have kicks. He’s gone through a lot of that in the last two or three years and I’m loving the way he’s performing.”
Read more about what Arteta has said about Saka’s injury before facing Brighton, here.