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Arsenal registered a 4-2 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday (February 18) in the Premier League. The victory helped Mikel Arteta’s team return to the league summit after 23 games.
Meanwhile, the Gunners may have to pay £89 million to secure the signature of Ansu Fati. Elsewhere, the north London side are interested in Jesper Lindstrom. On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on February 18, 2023:
Arsenal have to pay £89 million for Ansu Fati
Arsenal might have to offer £89 million to secure the signature of Ansu Fati, according to Ben Jacobs.
The Spanish forward is the subject of interest from the Gunners, who are looking to upgrade their frontline this year. However, Barcelona have repeatedly maintained that the player is not for sale.
Speaking to Caught Offside, Jacobs pointed out that Fati has not lived up to the billing at Camp Nou.
"When Fati was a bit younger as a teenager, it was very much a case of him being consistently mentioned in the same breath as Messi. What we're seeing now is potential dynamism, the ability to be creative and score the odd goal, but we're not seeing a player that is playing as regularly or scoring as regularly as he would have liked," said Jacobs.
Jacobs added that the Blaugrana's financial woes could tempt them to consider a big-money offer for Fati.
"That may well provide an opportunity at the right price to a suitor. What Xavi and Joan Laporta say, which is that he’s very clearly not for sale, versus the financial needs of the football club are two completely different things," said Jacobs.
He continued:
“That's where a Premier League suitor could persuade Barcelona to sell for an offer that they deem to be simply too good to turn down. That offer will be big; it may be as high as €100m (£89m), which even Barcelona fans, I think, will accept is too high based on Fati’s form and market value.”
The 20-year-old has picked up six goals and three assists in 32 games across competitions for Barcelona this season. He could be a fabulous addition to Arteta’s attack, which already boasts the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.
Gunners want Jesper Lindstrom
Arsenal are interested in Jesper Lindstrom, according to Sport1 via Just Arsenal. The Danish attacking midfielder is a long-term target for the Gunners, who wanted to sign him at the start of the season. A move failed to materialise last summer, but Arteta is ready to try again this year.
The Spanish manager remains keen to add more quality to his squad and has set his sights on the 22-year-old.
Lindstrom has amassed nine goals and four assists in 27 games across competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt this season. However, the north London side will face competition for his signature at the end of the season.
Graeme Souness blames Mikel Arteta for team's recent slump
Graeme Souness reckons Mikel Arteta's touchline antics are to blame for Arsenal's recent struggles on the pitch.
The Gunners appeared to be running away with the Premier League title at one point but were brought back to earth after a run of two defeats and a draw before Saturday’s win.
In his column for The Daily Mail, Souness said that Arteta's overtly aggressive stance on the sidelines have made his team nervy.
"Arsenal have looked a very nervy bunch for a whole month now – and in part that stems from Mikel Arteta and his antics on the touchline: the wild celebrations, the falling out with rival managers, the conduct towards officials. All of this will have had an impact on his players, both live and when they've seen it played back," wrote Souness.
He continued:
"Arteta has gone overboard because this is all new to him. As a player, he bordered on being son-in-law material – you wouldn't be unhappy if you walked through the door with your daughter – and I can never remember him aggressively going after anyone. Yet he's now turning up on a matchday with an angry head on. I don't believe this is helping the cause."
The north London side next face Leicester City on Saturday (February 25) in the Premier League.
