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Arsenal will play Chelsea on Boxing Day in the Premier League and will hope to build a bit of momentum as a mixed year comes to an end. Let’s take a look at the latest news featuring Arsenal from 25th December 2020.
Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun linked with Liverpool
The 19-year-old is knocking on the first team door having made four appearances in the Europa League for Arsenal, but his future could lie elsewhere. As per Nik Postinger, Liverpool are looking to add more younger players to their development squad and are keeping an eye on Folarin Balogun.
Balogun is yet to make his Premier League bow for Arsenal but has been used in the cup competitions and done reasonably well. He has featured ten times in the Premier League 2 for Arsenal and scored for times in the process.
Arsenal will want to tie Balogun down to a new contract as his current deal with the Gunners expires in the summer of 2021.
Saint-Etienne want to sign William Saliba
Saliba has not been able to break into the Arsenal senior side, and has been linked with a loan move in January to aid his development. The Frenchman was signed under previous Arsenal manager Unai Emery and it doesn’t seem like he has a future at Arsenal, as Mikel Arteta has refrained from using him so far.
Saliba was close to leaving Arsenal on a loan deal last summer, but the paperwork could not be completed in time. As per L’Equipe (h/t Sport Witness), however, they will try to sign Saliba once again when the transfer window reopens in January.
Ian Wright lambasts Arteta for picking underperforming trio
Former Arsenal star Ian Wright has criticized Mikel Arteta for picking Willian, Sead Kolasinac, and Shkodran Mustafi despite their poor form.
The Gunners have failed to muster any kind of momentum this season and a lot of their first-team players have struggled for form. While Willian’s arrival has not worked out, the likes of Mustafi and Kolasinac have flattered to deceive on the pitch for a while now.
Wright has called for the younger players like Emile Smith Rowe and Joe Willock to get more opportunities at the expense of the underperforming trio.
"I have to say, from my point of view, with the manager and the players he’s picking now, I think people like Emile Smith Rowe and Joe Willock and those guys, I’d like to see them have a chance," he said on Optus Sport’s The Kelly and Wrighty Show.
"That’s simply because you’re looking at the Willians, it’s not happening and he’s not playing well. Why are you playing people like Kolasinac? Why are you playing someone like Mustafi?
"I’d rather see [William] Saliba who is playing in the Under-23s, I’d rather see Smith Rowe and I’d rather see something different," he added.
