A round-up of the latest Arsenal news as Mikel Arteta provides an update on Jurrien Timber’s ACL injury and a Gunners player hints he is not happy at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal target Martin Zubimendi ‘does not worry’ about any transfer ‘rumours’
Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi says he ‘does not worry’ about ‘rumours’ linking him with a transfer to Arsenal. The 25-year-old is one of the top targets Mikel Arteta has set for the Gunners’ off-season plans. But he is happy at the Txuri-Urdin as the club is his home.
Zubimendi has drawn Arsenal’s interest after emerging as one of the top holding midfielders in La Liga. TuttoJuve even reports that Arsenal are the big favourites for Zubimendi’s transfer over Bayern Munich and Juventus, who will not match Real Sociedad’s €60m (£51.5m) price.
Reports by AS also note that Zubimendi is Arteta’s absolute No1 target to improve Arsenal’s midfield this summer. Yet the Gunners may have to shop elsewhere for their new anchor in the off-season. Zubimendi is not considering leaving and might only do so if he is forced to.
“They are just rumours,” Zubimendi said, via Marca. “I am happy at Real Sociedad, it is like my home. I cannot say that I will play my entire career at Real Sociedad, perhaps the club does not want me to continue in the future. And I do not worry about those rumours.”
Read more about what Arsenal target Zubimendi has had to say about a transfer, here.
Mikel Arteta feels Jurrien Timber is ‘very close’ to returning from his ACL injury
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta feels Jurrien Timber is ‘very close’ to returning from his ACL injury and may even make the team at Tottenham Hotspur. The 22-year-old has not played for the Gunners’ first-team since August. But he enjoyed 45 minutes in their Under-21s on Monday.
Timber sustained his ACL injury 50 minutes into Arsenal’s opening-day win over Nottingham Forest on his Premier League debut. The injury would require surgery and threatened to see the defender miss the entire season. But Arteta is hopeful of seeing Timber return this term.
Arteta and the Arsenal medical team will even see how Timber copes in training on Saturday before deciding if he can make their trip to Tottenham. The Spaniard will give the Dutchman every chance to make their matchday squad for the north London derby at Spurs on Sunday.
“It’s true [that] apart from Jurrien, who is going to be very close, that we have everybody available,” Arteta said during his press conference on Friday.
“That’s a huge boost that elevates the training session, the competition between the players and the challenges to pick the right line-up to change the game.”
Arteta also added: “We’re going to have to make that decision tomorrow after the training session. He’s very close, I don’t know if it’s going to come a bit too early for him. But he’s very close, I would say.”
Read more about what Arsenal boss Arteta has had to say about Timber’s injury, here.
Eddie Nketiah hints he is no longer happy at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta
Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has hinted that he is no longer happy at the Gunners given his limited role under Mikel Arteta. The 24-year-old has struggled to force his way back into the Spaniard’s starting line-up since the turn of the year. He has also struggled for brief cameos.
The attacker was ‘really happy’ at Arsenal earlier in the season after scoring his first Premier League hat-trick and making his England debut. But Nketiah has not scored in the top-flight since hitting three past Sheffield United last October or in any competition since December.
So, Arteta has struggled to put his trust in Nketiah to deliver. All eight of his Premier League appearances in 2024 so far have come from the bench through a potential 14 fixtures. Now, Nketiah admits that his role for Arteta is not what the Arsenal academy product would ‘like’.
“I think I’ve hit some really good highs,” Nketiah has told the Arsenal club website. “When I was playing regularly, I was really happy with my performances.
“Going to two England camps, making my debut, getting my first Premier League hat-trick and Champions League goal, I’ve achieved quite a few landmarks which I’ve set out. Of course, in the second half of the season, I haven’t started as many games as I’d like.”
Read more about what Nketiah has had to say about his situation at Arsenal, here.
