A round-up of the latest Arsenal news as captain Martin Odegaard has an ‘important’ warning before facing Manchester United and Mikel Arteta is dealt an injury concern.
Mikel Arteta has reservations about a transfer for Amadou Onana of Everton
Manager Mikel Arteta now has reservations about Arsenal targeting a transfer from Everton for Amadou Onana this summer. That is according to Dean Jones, who reports that Arteta is keen to sign a new midfielder as Declan Rice wants to become an elite box-to-box presence.
Arsenal have spent months scouting for potential defensive midfield targets and view Onana as a potential candidate. But the 22-year-old is still yet to totally convince Arteta that he can be the answer to their needs. Everton seeking £60m to sell Onana is also putting Arsenal off.
North London chiefs feel the Toffees are over-valuing Onana, who has featured in 28 of their 36 Premier League games this season. The Belgium international has even only started in 21 of their fixtures after spending three separate spells on the sidelines at Goodison Park so far.
Read more about Arteta’s concerns over a transfer for Everton’s Onana, here.
Martin Odegaard warns Arsenal to ‘control the emotions’ at Manchester United
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has told his teammates to ‘control the emotions’ when the Emirates Stadium club visit Manchester United on Sunday. The Gunners head to Old Trafford requiring a win to maintain their challenge for the Premier League title but face a tricky task.
The north London natives have only won one of their last 16 fixtures at the Red Devils in the Premier League. Arsenal even took their sole win since September 2006 in November 2020 via a penalty from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a behind-closed-doors meeting, as well.
Odegaard knows that Arsenal must win when they visit Manchester United if they are to pip Manchester City for the title, though. The Gunners sit a point clear of the Citizens ahead of their final two games. But Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions still have three fixtures to go.
“It is important to control the emotions,” Odegaard said, via quotes by the Mirror. “We have played in a lot of big stadiums and it is a normal thing for us. We go to United with one goal, and that’s to get the three points.”
Read more about what Odegaard has said about Arsenal’s trip to Manchester United, here.
Takehiro Tomiyasu raises injury concerns for Arsenal’s trip to Manchester United
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta now faces a new injury concern for their game at Manchester United as Takehiro Tomiyasu sat out training on Tuesday. That is according to Sky Sports News, which reports that the defender had to work away from their team at London Colney.
Tomiyasu has struggled with calf injuries in recent months but started in Arsenal’s last three Premier League games at left-back. Arteta was keen to manage his workload upon returning to fitness in March but Tomiyasu has since displaced Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior.
Arteta might now have to recall Zinchenko or Kiwior, or give Jurrien Timber his first minutes since August. Tomiyasu only played 45 minutes between suffering a calf injury on December 2 and returning from another calf injury that he suffered during the Asian Cup on March 31.
Read more about Arsenal defender Tomiyasu’s potential injury concern, here.