Arsenal in £109m Victor Osimhen transfer decision as Mikel Arteta told to bench Bukayo Saka
Arsenal were dealt a blow on Saturday after dropping points at home to Brighton in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s side also saw key player Declan Rice sent off after a second bookable offence, with the midfielder set to miss the north London derby against Tottenham. To compound a difficult weekend, title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool maintained their 100 percent start to the new campaign.
But the Gunners will know that it’s a marathon and not a sprint, with Arteta’s team still full of confidence going into the international break. Below, football.london have provided some of the latest media reports surrounding the Emirates Stadium.
Osimhen transfer decision
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Arsenal turned down the chance to sign striker Victor Osimhen this summer before he joined Galatasaray on Tuesday. He claims that the Nigerian was offered for his release clause price of €120/130million (around £109m).
“Let me also say that at the beginning of the summer transfer window, Arsenal were also offered the possibility to sign Victor Osimhen at the time at the value of the release clause €120/130m,” he said on his YouTube channel. “Arsenal immediately decided against that opportunity.”
Ferdinand makes Saka plea
Rio Ferdinand believes Mikel Arteta should rest Bukayo Saka more now that Raheem Sterling has joined on loan. The Manchester United legend believes Saka will feel better with less physical demands put on him.
“I just hope this [the loan deal] reignites him [Sterling] now and he hits the ground running,” he said on his YouTube channel. “I think their wide players do need help – Saka’s had so many games, it’ll be nice I think if Arteta can go, ‘You know what let me just let Saka sit out’.
“Saka won’t like it, but he’ll say, ‘Just sit out for this one’, and imagine what the output of Saka is going to be if he gets a rest here and there? He’s been doing this on full throttle, no rest, every game going out there giving mad performances, right? Now, he’s got a bit of back-up, you know what it’s like when a man’s got back-up, they get bigger, they feel stronger, they feel better, they deliver more.”
