Arsenal hold talks to sign £50m Nketiah

Despite yet another failure in the Premier League title race, losing to Manchester City for the second season in a row, Arsenal are quietly making changes to their squad.

The transfer window is in full swing and there is now less than a month to go before the deal is completed, but the Gunners have already strengthened their base with the £42m signing of Riccardo Calafiori and we are working to get Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad adding metal to the engine room.

Goalkeeper David Raya also saw his first loan move completed for £27m, and now, Mikel Arteta can turn his sights to the front of the ship.

Arsenal have one of the best squads in Europe and will be among the favorites for both the Premier League and Champions League this year, but they are missing a central striker.

That may change now…

Arsenal are looking for a new striker

Arsenal sell some young players and replace them with high-quality signings, thus improving the quality of Arteta's squad. Eddie Nketiah is the latest to be tipped for an exit, with Marseille failing to bid as Edu stuck to his £30m asking price.

The midfielder is likely to leave, however, because – like a transfer – Brighton & Hove Albion's Joao Pedro is being chased.

The Brazilian striker, who joined the Seagulls from Watford for around £30m a year ago, has enjoyed a successful season on the South Coast and has been the talk of the town for the Gunners.

Sources understand Brighton would be willing to make a move of around £50m, with much depending on Nketiah's future.

Joao Pedro's exploits at Brighton

Nketiah is a reliable goalscorer but doesn't boast the full set of qualities Arteta wants in his squad – in other words, he works.

Pedro may prove to be the most intelligent and improved player for the 25-year-old, having scored 20 goals and added three assists in all competitions for Brighton last season, hailed as “a perfect star” by reporter Charlie Haffenden.

According to FBref, Pedro, 22, ranked in the top 6% of players in Europe's top five leagues last year for goals scored, top 7% for fouls and top 2% for percentage of aerial challenges won ( 62.0%).

Such metrics indicate a strong set of all-round skills, with his ability to handle the ball – described as “crazy dribbler“He is commentator Ben Mattinson – he leads the opposition to make mistakes and his strong body allows him to use others in the duel.

That's exactly what Arteta followed, with intensity mixed with athleticism and clinical form to improve Nketiah, who has just 19 goals in 116 Premier League appearances.

He would improve Arsenal, but he could also be a dream come true for Gunners captain Martin Odegaard, whose playmaking ability will complement his developing form.

Think Joao Pedro and Martin Odegaard

Odegaard has been involved in the past few seasons, rewarded by the team Player of the Season in 2023/24 and scored 26 goals and 18 assists across both divisions.

His impact and creativity, his wit and tenacity and box-ticking genius have seen him rise from a one-time wonderkid label to living up to the hype.

Across Europe's top five leagues over the past year, Odegaard ranked in the top 5% of midfielders for goals, top 4% for assists, top 1% for shots, top 2% for passes and the top 11. % in progressive cars is 90 percent.

The 25-year-old also created 17 big chances in the Premier League last season, and while his overall quality would be an asset to any player, his series of passes could open up Pedro's best football.

Brighton's rising star, who completed 1.4 dribbles per game in the English top-flight last year and created nine big chances, will provide Gabriel Jesus' creative flair to Arsenal while bringing the type of goal-scoring that Odegaard would enjoy.

The Norway captain's presence in the middle of the park has seen him develop into one of Europe's best players, while Pedro – still only 22 years old – could be the final piece of the puzzle to send the team's energy to another level entirely.

Obviously, a lot depends on the sale of Nketiah, but Arsenal are clearly willing to part with the underused player under Arteta's wing especially in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.

Indeed, having only six substitutes in the Premier League since February – and being left on the bench for a further ten games – would appear to be in every club's interest to cash in quickly.

Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard both excelled at centre-forward last year, with the German in particular, but now a more focal point is needed.

Having fought tooth and nail to topple Man City's difficult reign in England, the Londoners are enjoying an incredible transfer window that could clear up the odds. Third time lucky?