SETTABLOID

Arsenal are reportedly eyeing a man given the title of the “hottest striker” in Italy, in a move which AFTV host Robbie Lyle has been told to take “very seriously”.

The Gunners have stepped up their efforts for a striker of late. They were already keen on landing on prior to January, but Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka getting injured have made it a must.

Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins was the subject of a bid from Arsenal, believed to be somewhere near £45million, but Villa value him at £80million, and it seems unlikely Arsenal will pay that.

As a result, they have been forced to move onto other options, and AFTV host Lyle has revealed there is genuine interest in Atalanta’s Retegui.

Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins was the subject of a bid from Arsenal, believed to be somewhere near £45million, but Villa value him at £80million, and it seems unlikely Arsenal will pay that.

As a result, they have been forced to move onto other options, and AFTV host Lyle has revealed there is genuine interest in Atalanta’s Retegui.

Though it’s believed by some that Martin Zubimendi has agreed to join Arsenal, Real Madrid could reportedly hijack the summer move, with the midfielder their favoured target in his position.

Both the Gunners and Real are said to be in the market for Florian Wirtz, though the La Liga outfit are said to feel his asking price is too high to justify a deal, potentially letting Arsenal lead the race for him.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could miss out on Matheus Cunha, with Aston Villa expected to lodge a bid for him.

And with Jhon Duran looking likely to leave for the Saudi Pro League in a big-money transfer, the deal would be easily funded, while meaning Watkins is almost certainly going to stay, dealing the Gunners a harsh double whammy.

BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton has stated his prediction for Sunday’s much-awaited Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners returned to winning ways in the top flight last weekend with a 1-0 triumph at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The game was controversial due to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s surprise sending-off for a tactical foul by referee Michael Oliver.

Arsenal did not give up with 10 men and eventually scored the winner through Riccardo Calafiori. Lewis-Skelly’s red card was rescinded on appeal. The club went on to beat Girona on Wednesday to qualify directly for the Champions League last 16.

The London giants now face a stern test of their title credentials against Manchester City at home. The club are already six points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand at Everton.

Hence, the upcoming clash is a must-win, and Sutton has backed Arsenal to come on top with a 2-1 triumph. He is hoping that Erling Haaland can ‘stay humble’ if his team end up on the losing side.

Arsenal had the worst possible start in the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland opened the scoring from a defensive lapse from Calafiori. However, the dynamic of the game changed with Rodri’s injury midway through the opening half.

Just a minute later, Calafiori announced himself to the Gunners fans with a stunning curling strike from outside the box. Gabriel Magalhaes put them 2-1 in front from a trademark header from a corner, but the dynamic changed once more with Leandro Trossard’s red card.

Oliver handed a second yellow card to the Belgian for apparently kicking the ball after a foul on Bernardo Silva. Arsenal went into ultra-defensive mode following the half-time interval, but City managed to pull level in the 98th minute through John Stones.

There was a war of words at the end of the game with Haaland telling Arteta to ‘stay humble’. His words should be used by the Spaniard to fire up his players for Sunday. The game is a must-win if the Gunners want to stay in the title race with Arne Slot’s side.

Bayern Munich wonderkid Mathys Tel is waiting to see if Arsenal or Manchester United formalise their interest in his services before making a final decision on his destination, according to Daily Mail journalist Sami Mokbel.

The 19-year-old started in Bayern’s 3-1 win over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday night. Following the game, the Frenchman was spotted waving goodbye to the fans at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern director Max Eberl has confirmed that the forward wants to leave and Mokbel reports that Arsenal and United could be front-runners to land his signature from the German giants.

Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have shown the firmest interest in the attacker. However, ‘sources close to the situation’ say that Tel is waiting to hear from Arsenal or United before making a final decision.

It is added that the teenager would like to know the level of assurances in terms of playing opportunities from either club before deciding on his next challenge away from the Bundesliga.

Arsenal could have an edge over United in Tel pursuit

The Rennes graduate can play across the attack. He is most efficient from the left wing but has also impressed from the centre-forward role during his time at the Bavarian giants.

In our view, the youngster may struggle for minutes from the left flank with competition from Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, but he could have opportunities elsewhere.

Ethan Nwaneri excelled on the right wing at Girona, but manager Mikel Arteta may want competition in the department with Bukayo Saka sidelined until March after hamstring surgery.

Meanwhile, the club desperately need another option to lead the attack. There has been an overreliance on Kai Havertz, who looked jaded at the end against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

The German got a much-needed breather with a substitute role in midweek, but Arsenal definitely need another choice up front with Gabriel Jesus out with a serious knee injury.

With Tel’s immense potential, he could become a regular starter ahead of Havertz, who has been prone to missing clear-cut chances lately. We believe Arsenal could have an edge over United.

They are playing in the Champions League, which is a major attraction. At United, Tel may have to compete for places with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee for the number nine role.

On top of this, he may have to adapt to the wing-back position as manager Ruben Amorim prefers two attacking midfielders in a 3-4-2-1 formation. Arsenal have the better project for his development.

It will be interesting to see whether Arsenal make an approach for Tel, who has been described as a ‘superb finisher‘ by Thomas Muller.

Arsenal are optimistic that Spanish goalkeeper David Raya will be available for selection against Manchester City for the Premier League game on Sunday.

The 29-year-old Gunners star was unavailable to face Girona in the Champions League on Wednesday night due to an injury, with Neto taking his place in the starting XI.

Raya was not fit enough to make the Arsenal bench despite travelling with the team, with 16-year-old Jack Porter included as the substitute.

The North London club are back in action on Sunday when they host Man City at Emirates Stadium, and there are no serious concerns over a protracted absence for the first-choice goalie.

The expectation is that Raya will return to the Arsenal squad this weekend in a much-needed boost, and manager Mikel Arteta will be relieved to have him available.

The Gunners won 2-1 without him last night to book a place in the round of 16 of the Champions League, but Neto did not cover himself in glory, making an error which led to a goal.

Arsenal are six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool having played a game more, and they will be desperate to pick up all three points when Pep Guardiola and his men come visiting.

Man City are six points behind the Gunners following an underwhelming campaign, but they remain a threat to their title ambitions and cannot be underestimated when they face off.

Arsenal need all their best players available for such a high-profile match and having Raya fit will be huge to their chances of securing a vital win.

They have lost just two league games so far but Man City have suffered six defeats and will be giving their all against the Gunners to get their title challenge back on track.

The result of the game between both clubs on Sunday could play a huge role in determining the race for the title and top-four, and fans should expect a fierce clash between the two rivals.

Arsenal are expected to launch a second bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, though numerous sources agree it WON’T be accepted, with The Gunners already opening talks to sign one of three possible alternatives.

Arsenal lodged an official bid worth £60m for Ollie Watkins on Wednesday. The timing of the bid – in the hours preceding Villa’s crunch Champions League clash with Celtic – went down like a lead balloon at Villa Park.

Watkins is a life-long Arsenal fan and would be open to making the switch. What’s more, Sky Sports reporter, Kaveh Solhekol, claims an improved bid is expected to make its way to Villa chiefs.

However, Villa are on the cusp of selling their other centre-forward, Jhon Duran, to Al-Nassr. Duran has agreed a lucrative five-and-a-half year contract and passed a medical in London on Thursday morning.

An agreement on the transfer fee between the clubs worth €77m/£64.4m plus add-ons has also been sealed.

As you might expect, Aston Villa are dead set against losing Duran AND Watkins.

Accordingly, multiple top sources including Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein have confirmed Villa are unlikely in the extreme to sell Watkins to Arsenal – even if they do return with a raised offe

Arsenal are aware their attempts to prise Watkins out of Villa Park aren’t likely to succeed. As such, the club have other irons in the fire and we can confirm they’re among the clubs who’ve opened talks to sign Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.

The 19-year-old has the green light to leave after requesting an exit. Tel grew frustrated at his lack of action in Munich after playing second fiddle to Harry Kane.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and now Aston Villa too are also exploring a move for Tel.

Man Utd would prefer a loan deal, while Spurs and Chelsea are willing to sign Tel in a deal with a permanent solution attached – be it an outright signing or a loan that contains an option/obligation to buy.

What type of transfer Arsenal are pursuing isn’t yet clear, though what is known is the club have opened talks with their counterparts at Bayern.

A key demand Arsenal will have to convince Tel they can satisfy is regular minutes. Tel will only join a club that make assurances over playing time – something Chelsea and Tottenham both believe they can commit to.

Tel can play on the left wing as well as centre-forward. But whether Arsenal can guarantee Tel he’ll be a regular starter with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz in situ, only time will tell.

Man Utd would prefer a loan deal, while Spurs and Chelsea are willing to sign Tel in a deal with a permanent solution attached – be it an outright signing or a loan that contains an option/obligation to buy.

What type of transfer Arsenal are pursuing isn’t yet clear, though what is known is the club have opened talks with their counterparts at Bayern.

A key demand Arsenal will have to convince Tel they can satisfy is regular minutes. Tel will only join a club that make assurances over playing time – something Chelsea and Tottenham both believe they can commit to.

Tel can play on the left wing as well as centre-forward. But whether Arsenal can guarantee Tel he’ll be a regular starter with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz in situ, only time will tell.