Transfer Focus

Arsenal keeping tabs on wonderkid Cody Gakpo

|
Image for Arsenal keeping tabs on wonderkid Cody Gakpo

Arsenal are keeping tabs on Cody Gakpo as they look to improve options in their attack.

The Lowdown: A new attack at the Emirates

It is no secret that the Gunners are in the market for new forwards.

With club captain Alexandre Lacazette amongst the names linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium, with claims made in The Athletic last month that the Frenchman was open to leaving the club, a rebuild in attack looks very much on the cards in the red side of North London.

And while the number nine position seems like the priority for Arsenal, they are also reportedly looking to bring in a new goalscoring winger, especially following the reports in football.london that club-record signing Nicolas Pepe wants to leave the club this summer, and have seemingly spotted a new target from the Netherlands.

The Latest: Gakpo linked

Writing in The Athletic, James McNicholas and David Ornstein have given the latest updates regarding the speculation surrounding potential incomings to Mikel Arteta’s side.

In the article, they mentioned that the Premier League outfit are looking at the possibility of bringing in a wide forward, linking Gakpo to the club, claiming that he is ‘among the options being discussed.

However, they go on to say that it depends on the short term future of recently acquired Brazilian youngster Marquinhos, who could be asked to fight for a place in the first-team squad, or go out on loan, with the latter coming into fruition opening the door for another winger to join this summer.

The Verdict: It would be a smart move

While much depends on what happens with Pepe, a move for Gakpo seems a smart one, with the 23-year-old already putting up an impressive number of goal contributions for PSV Eindhoven and impressing fans and pundits alike with his direct style of play.

With 12 goals and 13 assists in 27 appearances in the Eredivisie this season, his attacking numbers are unmatched by any Arsenal player during the league campaign, and has caught the attention of pundits in the Netherlands who have showered praise on the winger, with Theo Janssen claiming that “he has everything”, praising his passing, dribbling, and strength between the lines.

He has also been lauded as “phenomenal” by scout Jacek Kulig.

Ultimately, this is what Arteta has been crying out for, and his track record of improving young forwards since taking the hot seat at the North Londoners, with Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe, and Gabriel Martinelli all breaking through as regulars under the Spaniard, it suggests that he would be able to do the same with Gakpo.

And in other news, Arsenal look at bringing in a new central midfielder.

Share this article

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *