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    Nketiah can’t replace Jesus at Arsenal warns Emmanuel Petit who also reveals how Nkunku can shine at Chelsea

    ARSENAL legend Emmanuel Petit claims Eddie Nketiah isn’t ready to replace injured star Gabriel Jesus because he is “still young”.Jesus picked up a knee injury while playing with Brazil at the 2022 World Cup and went under the knife with the Gunners fearing he could be out for three months.
    Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit doesn’t think Eddie Nketiah can replace Gabriel JesusCredit: PA
    Emmanuel Petit suggested Arsenal should turn to the January transfer windowCredit: Rex
    Manager Mikel Arteta needs a replacement for the striker, who was vital in the North Londoners topping the Premier League table with five goals and six assists in 14 matches.
    Nketiah is Arteta’s most obvious choice to play as a centre-forward but Petit claims this responsibility comes “too soon” for the 23-year-old.
    The France great suggested Arsenal will have to turn to the January transfer window as they are “short of options”.
    Speaking to Mega Casino, Petit said: “I think Arsenal have a very good squad with a very good mentality. Arteta and his staff are doing a very good job.
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    “Even Edu. I was not convinced by Edu initially, but the job he has done over the last two transfer windows has convinced me. He has taken the right decisions and he has a vision. It seems like everyone at the club is pulling in the same direction.
    “What happened with [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang shows you how fragile a dressing room can be – even your own captain can be a danger! To get rid of him was a strong decision and Arteta and Edu obviously have a clear idea of what they want to do at the football club. On the pitch, you can see that the players are really buying into Arteta.
    “The first eleven is of exceptional quality but the depth on the bench isn’t as good as it needs to be and if you want to compete with Manchester City, Liverpool, you need more and you need to be clever in the transfer market, especially when you’re without a player like Jesus.
    “Ben White is fit, but mentally, we have no idea. We also don’t know about the other players coming back from the World Cup. Arsenal definitely, and even Arteta has said it, are short of options. They need more players.
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    “Nketiah is a good player but he is still young. He is gaining experience all the time, but you can’t replace Jesus with Nketiah and expect the same results. It is too soon for him. If you put him in and expect that, that is not fair on the player, but his time will come.”
    Petit also claims Chelsea are dealing with issues up front, but the ex-Blues ace believes RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku can solve them.
    Nkunku is expected to link up with Graham Potter’s squad in July after a reported deal with Leipzig that cost £53million.
    The striker will be facing the famous No9 curse at Stamford Bridge but Petit believes he could still emulate Didier Drogba’s success, even though they are not the same.
    The ex-Barcelona star claims the France international, who missed the World Cup due to a leg injury, can shine because he will be well up for the challenge.
    Petit added: “He is a very good player. Will he be a hit? You know, just like I know, there is a striker’s curse at Stamford Bridge! I hope he will break the curse.
    “I hope he can follow in the same footsteps as Drogba. He is not the same type of player as Drogba, but he has so much quality. He exploits spaces with his speed. He has great technical quality too and he is clinical when he is in front of the goal.
    “He was the best player in the Bundesliga, which is a big achievement, especially when you don’t play for Bayern [Munich] or [Borussia] Dortmund, the last player to do that was Kevin de Bruyne!
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    “It was so sad that he couldn’t go to the World Cup, but he has a big career in front of him. He has the hunger to succeed. He hasn’t been at the biggest club in the Bundesliga, so when he goes to Chelsea, that will be a step up for him.
    “He will want to prove that he deserves to be there. I think he is ready to take the next steps in his career and he is ready to handle the pressure and expectation that comes when you’re playing as a striker for Chelsea.”
    Emmanuel Petit believes Christopher Nkunku can be a success at ChelseaCredit: Getty More

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    Arsenal open to making striker transfer in January to replace injured Gabriel Jesus with Mykhaylo Mudryk targeted

    ARSENAL are open to signing a new striker to ensure their title bid doesn’t fall flat.The Gunners currently top the Premier League Christmas tree by five points but have seen their firepower decrease thanks to an injury to Gabriel Jesus.
    Arsenal will be without Gabriel Jesus for a prolonged periodCredit: PA
    Mikel Arteta hasn’t ruled out delving into the transfer market to maintain the Gunners’ fire powerCredit: GETTY
    Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli are in line to fill in for Jesus, although manager Mikel Arteta is refusing to rule out dipping into the transfer market to help alleviate the problem.
    The Spaniard said of Jesus’ injury: “It’s a huge blow for us, obviously.
    “He’s such an important player: he’s brought something very different to the team and it’s impossible to replace him.
    “But we have other players, other alternatives and we’ll try to get that sorted.
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    “The transfer window is another option.
    “I think [Jesus] is a unique player but Eddie [Nketiah] has incredible qualities as well for the way we want to play.
    “We have other alternatives in that we can play Martinelli up front as well.
    “We are currently a little bit short in terms of upfront positions but getting Emile [Smith Rowe] back is going to be a big one.”
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    Shakhtar Donestk youngster Mykhaylo Mudryk was on the north Londoners’ radar in the summer and is still wanted by Arteta.
    The Ukrainian club’s deputy sporting director Carlo Nicolini told TVPlay: “Today, Mudryk has been told, like all other players, to present himself for the training in Antalya on the 9th of January.
    “There is interest from Arsenal, I cannot deny it.”
    He added: “Many clubs have taken an indirect interest in Mudryk, without an official offer.
    “There have been a lot of phone calls.
    “I believe that today the Italian teams find it difficult to take a profile like this, both for what it is worth and for the lack of courage in investing in such a profile.”
    Shakhtar will demand a minimum of £85million for the 21-year-old forward.
    Arsenal will resume their Premier League campaign on Boxing Day, welcoming West Ham to the Emirates.
    Arsenal are interested in signing Shakhtar Donestk ace Mykhailo MudrykCredit: REUTERS More

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    Erik ten Hag reveals phone call with Lisandro Martinez which persuaded him to seal Man Utd transfer over Arsenal

    ERIK TEN HAG has opened up on the phone call that saw Lisandro Martinez join Manchester United instead of Arsenal.Following Ten Hag’s Ajax exit, Martinez was always destined to leave the Dutch side last summer.
    Lisandro Martinez signed for Manchester United last summerCredit: Getty
    Mikel Arteta’s Gunners wanted to bring him to North London, making him a priority transfer target.
    Martinez, 24, had been all set to sign for Arsenal, but even as the deal edged closer he pined for a move to United.
    Prior to completing a mooted Gunners switch, he phoned his old mentor Ten Hag.
    Revealing all about the conversation, the 52-year-old told  Voetbal International: “Whether I found it difficult to get Martinez away from Ajax?
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    “I had such a good time there, how we experienced the process together.
    “From scratch we brought Ajax back to the European top. That project has been so dear to me.
    “But Martinez himself wanted to leave Ajax anyway. If we hadn’t taken him, he would have gone to Arsenal.
    “They wanted him anyway, he was top priority there. Licha (Martinez) called me at one point: ‘Coach, listen, I’m leaving Ajax anyway. I can sign with Arsenal, but if you want me, I’m going to Manchester United.’
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    Martinez worked with Erik ten Hag at AjaxCredit: Getty
    “Then I thought: ‘I shouldn’t shoot myself and United in the foot either’. He really wasn’t staying in Amsterdam, that was out of the question. Then we struck and it all worked out.”
    Argentina World Cup hero Martinez subsequently completed a £55million switch to United, swiftly becoming a fan favourite at Old Trafford prior to his success in Qatar.
    Arsenal, meanwhile, elected not to sign a new defender – instead giving forgotten man William Saliba a chance.
    The Frenchman has been a revelation for the Gunners, playing a huge role in seeing them enter the World Cup break top of the Premier League.
    In addition to Martinez, United also reunited Ten Hag with Ajax winger Antony.
    After a protracted transfer saga, the winger joined the Red Devils in an eye-watering £85.5m deal.
    Antony eventually completed a huge summer transfer to Man United to reunite with Ten HagCredit: Getty More

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    Arsenal prepared to wait and steal Youri Tielemans on free transfer but risk losing Leicester midfielder to rivals

    ARSENAL will attempt to sign Youri Tielemans on a free transfer when his Leicester contract expires in June, according to reports.The Gunners were heavily linked with a swoop for the Belgian midfielder throughout the summer transfer window.
    Arsenal want to sign Youri Tielemans on a free transfer next summerCredit: Getty
    But, Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu were reluctant to pay Leicester’s £30million asking price.
    Arsenal are still understood to be interested in tempting the Foxes ace to the Emirates, but according to Football.London they will wait until his current contract runs down.
    Tielemans will become a free agent when his contract expires at the end of June unless he is sold for a cut-price fee during the January transfer window.
    He could also have the opportunity to agree a pre-contract deal with a European club from next month, putting Arsenal’s plans to sign him at risk.
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    The Gunners will be able to begin negotiations with Tielemans after the final game of the Premier League season.
    Leicester are already preparing for the midfielder’s departure with a number of potential replacements lined up.
    The Foxes have previously been linked with a move for out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek.
    And they have also expressed an interest in signing Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi from Angers.
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    Leicester are understood to be willing to pay up to £39.5m for the World Cup superstar.
    The Foxes are expected to attempt to sign him next month with Angers open to the prospect of a deal.
    However, the French side will want to keep him on loan until the end of the 2022-23 season. More

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    Argentina’s World Cup hero Alexis Mac Allister ‘interested in Arsenal or Tottenham transfer as he eyes Brighton move’

    ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER is attracting interest from Arsenal and Tottenham, according to reports.The Brighton star excelled at the World Cup with Argentina, laying on a brilliant assist in the final.
    Alexis Mac Allister lifted the World Cup in QatarCredit: Getty
    Following the midfielder’s impressive tournament, the Seagulls are braced for plenty of interest in their star man.
    According to Spanish paper AS, Arsenal are set to test Brighton’s resolve.
    The Gunners would like to add more depth in midfield, with Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny their only deputies for first choice pair Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka.
    Sky Sports add that Tottenham have held an interest in the 23-year-old since before the tournament.
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    Spurs have recently done business with Brighton, signing Yves Bissouma for £25million last summer.
    They are set to be active in the January market, as they aim to prove to Antonio Conte that they are willing to meet his spending demands.

    Spurs are in talks to extend the Italian’s contract beyond the end of this season, but Conte wants reassurances that he will have plenty of cash to splash.
    A Telegraph report claims that Spurs will look to sign two players in January – a defender and a creative midfielder.
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    Mac Allister would fit the bill for the latter, and could link up with former team-mate Bissouma and international pal Cristian Romero in North London.
    The World Cup winner joined Brighton in January 2019.
    He initially had loan spells back in Argentina with Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors, before becoming a regular for the Seagulls.
    Mac Allister has made 86 appearances in total for the South Coast side, and has added goals to his game this season.
    He scored five times in 14 Premier League outings prior to the World Cup break
    Tottenham and Arsenal could face stiff competition for Mac Allister’s signature in the shape of Atletico Madrid.
    AS’ report adds that boss Diego Simeone wants to link up with his compatriot, in a move that would unite Mac Allister with international team-mates Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Correa and Nahuel Molina. More

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    Arsenal interest in £85m-rated transfer target Mykhaylo Mudryk confirmed by Shakhtar Donetsk… but boss warns of rivals

    SHAKHTAR DONESTK chief Carlo Nicolini has confirmed Arsenal are interested in Mykhaylo Mudryk – with the Gunners warned they are NOT alone in trying to sign him.The Premier League leaders have been consistently linked with the £85million-rated winger in recent months.
    Shakhtar Donestk want a big fee for Mykhaylo MudrykCredit: Getty
    Speaking to Calciomercato, Nicolini said that: “There is interest from Arsenal, I cannot deny it.
    “Many clubs have taken an indirect interest in Mudryk without an official offer. There have been a lot of phone calls.”
    He went on to rule out a move to Italy for the 21-year-old.
    It has been reported that Arsenal lead the race to buy the star and that they have opened talks with Shakhtar about signing him.
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    Negotiations are underway but the Ukrainian team want £85m.
    Arsenal are hoping they lower their demands with Mikel Arteta supposedly hopeful a deal can happen.
    With the North London side pushing for the Premier League title, Mudryk is seen as key to bolstering the squad and he is the club’s No1 target.
    He has impressed in the Champions League, netting three and assisting two in six group stage matches.
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    Additionally, Mudryk has taken the Ukrainian league by storm, scoring seven and registering six assists in only 12 games this season.
    The player, who has bags of pace and trickery, appears keen on a move to England.
    Mudryk told Vlada Sedan’s YouTube channel: “From a purely hypothetical perspective if there was the option of being a bench player for Real Madrid or a starter for Arsenal, I’d probably choose Arsenal.” More

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    Leicester star Caglar Soyuncu ‘is close to signing for Atletico Madrid’ in shock January transfer

    LEICESTER star Caglar Soyuncu is edging towards a move to Atletico Madrid, according to reports. The Turkish defender is out of contract at the end of the season, leaving the midlands club vulnerable to a transfer swoop.
    Caglar Soyuncu is the latest Leicester star linked with a move awayCredit: Getty
    He has proven to be a reliable and consistent figure at the heart of the Leicester defence after moving to the King Power in 2018.
    But Soyuncu is now edging towards the exit door, according to Marca.
    The Spanish publication report that Atletico Madrid are lining up the 26-year-old for a free move when his deal expires.
    But the report adds that the Spanish club could move as soon as January if they can clear space in their squad.
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    If Atletico can shift 33-year-old defender Felipe and out-of-favour Spaniard Mario Hermaso, Marca say they will look to buy Soyuncu in the new year.
    This will require a fee but Leicester would likely have to sell the defender for less money than his worth due to his contract situation.
    Soyuncu has been a regular starter for the Foxes over the past few seasons and has often been a rock at the heart of the defence.
    He has also been a regular in the Turkish national team.
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    He is not the only talent that Leicester are clinging onto.
    Youri Tielemans’ contract also expires at the end of the season with the midfielder subject to much transfer interest.
    Arsenal and Barcelona are among the clubs interested in the Belgian.
    Leicester also lost first-choice goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in the summer, while fans were left frustrated at the lack of incomings during the transfer window.
    The season started poorly for Brendan Rodgers’ men as they lost six of their opening seven league games.
    But their form picked up drastically and they went into the World Cup break having won four of their last five. More

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    Arsenal star Cedric Soares set to join Fulham on permanent transfer as Mikel Arteta offloads fringe stars in January

    FULHAM are close to signing Arsenal right-back Cedric Soares.The 31-year-old has featured just four times for the Gunners this season.
    Cedric Soares is set to join FulhamCredit: Getty
    He has been told he can leave Arsenal in January with boss Mikel Arteta open to offloading the fringe star.
    Cedric is set to join Fulham on a permanent deal.
    The Whites were reported to be keen on Cedric in the summer and have reignited their interest in the defender.
    His only start this campaign was in the Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton.
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    Fulham boss Marco Silva is keen to add a right-back in January.
    Kevin Mbabu was signed from Wolfsburg in the summer but has started just one Premier League game.
    Meanwhile an injury to Kenny Tete has restricted him to just one start in the Prem.
    Cedric has played 59 times for Arsenal in total since first joining from Southampton.
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    Initially signing on loan in January 2020, the move was made permanent than summer.
    Elsewhere, the Gunners are rumoured to be interested in Matheus Cunha.
    The 23-year-old is on the for-sale list at Atletico Madrid.
    And Cunha could be brought in as a replacement for Gabriel Jesus, who is set to be sidelined for a number of months after undergoing knee surgery. More