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Arsenal travel to Vicarage Road to face Watford on Sunday in the Premier League. The north London side could strengthen their bid for a top-four finish with a win over the Hornets.
A win for the Gunners and fourth-placed Manchester United’s defeat at Manchester City will see Mikel Arteta’s side move to fourth in the standings. The Gunners also have three games in hand on the Red Devils.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have joined Arsenal in the race for Djed Spence. Elsewhere, the Gunners have received a blow in their pursuit of a Napoli midfielder. On that note, here’s a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on 6th March 2022:
Barcelona enter race to sign Djed Spence
Liverpool have entered the race to sign Djed Spence, according to The Hard Tackle via Fichajes. The Middlesbrough full-back is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest. Arsenal have already added the 21-year-old to their wishlist for this summer.
Spence joined Forest on a season-long loan last summer, and has been one of the stars at the City Ground. He has impressed in attack, and has also been rock-solid at the back, bagging two goals and three assists this season. The Englishman was particularly impressive against the Gunners and Leicester City in the FA Cup, garnering attention from clubs around the country.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta is searching for an able backup to Takehiro Tomiyasu this summer. The Spaniard could bid adieu to Cedric Soares at the end of the season, so Spence could take his place. The Englishman could also add another dimension to Arteta’s tactics, given his attacking prowess.
However, the north London side could face competition from Liverpool for the 21-year-old. Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has his eyes on Spence despite having one of the best in the business in Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The German tactician might be enticed by the Middlesbrough star’s ability to play in multiple positions on the right flank.
Tottenham Hotspur are also in the race for the Englishman, having failed with a deadline-day move for the player in January. Spurs are expected to reignite their interest in Spence this summer, and could pose another problem for Arsenal.
Middlesbrough tied Spence down to a new contract last summer, and his current deal expires in 2024. The Championship side are likely to demand €15-20 million for his signature.
Apart from Liverpool, Spurs and Gunners, Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are also reportedly interested in Spence. Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen are also monitoring his development. That could complicate Arteta’s pursuit of the player this summer.
Arsenal receive blow in Fabian Ruiz pursuit
Arsenal have received a setback in their pursuit of Fabian Ruiz. According to The Hard Tackle via journalist Raffaele Auriemma, the Spaniard doesn’t want to join the Gunners this summer.
The north London side are hoping to convince the 25-year-old to be a part of Arteta’s revolution next season. Ruiz has been a revelation for Napoli since arriving in 2018, scoring 21 goals and 14 assists in 156 games. With an annual salary of €1.5 million, he is one of the lowest-paid players at the club.
His current contract with the Serie A side expires next year. Premier League giants Arsenal were hoping to seal a cut-price deal for the 25-year-old this summer. However, the Spaniard has his heart set on joining either Real Madrid or PSG.
Gabriel Martinelli wants to stay at Emirates for his career
Gabriel Martinelli has expressed a desire to stay at the Emirates his entire career. The Brazilian has been in fine form for the Gunners this season.
Speaking to ESPN, Martinelli revealed that he wants to win titles with the Gunners.
“We always want more. Of course, Arsenal are a giant team. If I can, I’ll stay here my whole life. I want to conquer things. I already said I want to stay here and win titles, with this wonderful crowd, my teammates,” said Martinelli.
He continued:
“We have a young group; we have a lot of time ahead of us, players with a lot of quality; I think we will achieve great things. Our focus (today) is the Champions League. Fighting for that top 4. A club like Arsenal has to be in the Champions League. It’s our total focus,” said Martinelli.
Martinelli has been in good form this season, bagging four goals and three assists across competitions.
