Jason Cundy ‘100%’ believes one Chelsea transfer target would start for Arsenal and would make Mikel Arteta’s line-up in front of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.
The Blues are in the market for a forward after another disappointing campaign at Stamford Bridge. Despite the hundreds of millions of pounds that Chelsea have spent through the last two years, Mauricio Pochettino lasted just a season in west London after a sixth-place finish.
Chelsea and Pochettino mutually agreed to part ways at the close of the campaign after they ended the term 28 points off the top spot. Arsenal also held a 26-point advantage over their London rivals. But the left-wing spot became a slight problem position for Arteta in 2023/24.
Jason Cundy believes ‘special’ Eberechi Eze ‘100%’ gets into Arsenal’s team
Now, Cundy believes Arteta would upgrade Martinelli and Trossard by raiding Crystal Palace for the transfer of Eberechi Eze. He also feels the 25-year-old would walk into Liverpool’s XI as he is a better player than Jeremy Doku, who joined Manchester City for £55.5m last year.
But Arsenal are not currently showing interest in chasing Eze’s transfer, rather he is a target for Chelsea, instead. Simon Phillips reports the Blues want the England forward as he really impressed their scouts during the west Londoners’ frequent visits to Crystal Palace’s games.
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Eze excelled at Selhurst Park through the 2023/24 Premier League season with 11 goals and four assists from 27 appearances. Thigh, ankle and muscular injuries saw him miss multiple fixtures. But Cundy feels he outdid Doku, who had three goals and nine assists in 29 games.
“This kid is special,” Cundy told talkSPORT. “I think he is better than Doku. What I am doing is kind of comparing to where he can get in.
“I think he gets in Liverpool’s team [and] I think he gets in Arsenal’s team on the left-hand side. I would have him ahead of Trossard and Martinelli, I would, I 100% would.”
Arsenal would have to bid well to beat Chelsea’s interest if Arteta adhered to Cundy’s words and targeted Eze’s transfer from Crystal Palace this summer. BBC Sport notes the Eagles will only begin talks for their two-cap dynamo at £60m. They are also not under pressure to sell.
Arteta relied on Trossard after watching Martinelli struggle in the final third
Arteta started the season backing Martinelli as Arsenal’s first-choice left winger but ended it trusting Trossard. The Spaniard changed tact in March after the former had sustained a foot injury. Martinelli also struggled for form in the final third but Trossard shone once in their XI.
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Martinelli suffered his second injury of the season following an earlier hamstring issue amid his best run of form. He scored four and assisted two goals in seven Premier League outings. But the 22-year-old only registered six goals and four assists all season in 35 appearances.
Only Bukayo Saka (16 goals in 35 games) and Kai Havertz (13 in 37) outscored Trossard (12 in 34), on the other hand. The 29-year-old offered five of his goals in the Belgian’s final eight appearances, of which he started seven. Arteta relied on Trossard to start during the run-in.