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Bailey Keogh

Antonio Conte hands Edu key transfer incentive to solve Arsenal dilemma with dream Ligue 1 deal

Arsenal finished the summer transfer window with just Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as the forward options going into the season. A lot of pressure will be placed on both forwards with a heavy fixture schedule due to the club set to take part in four competitions, which include the Premier League, Europa League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

The Gunners had a number of options in the summer transfer window to address the forward areas with Edu opting for Gabriel Jesus. While this has certainly proved to be the right decision, Arsenal are still lacking firepower to further support Jesus and Nketiah which has been under scrutiny recently as the pair have struggled front of goal in recent months.

Jonathan David, who was heavily linked to the club throughout last season, has had an excellent start to the current campaign. With Arsenal needing to add to the forward line they could look to battle Tottenham in securing the Canadian’s signature.

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According to news outlet Give Me Sport, Tottenham are one of four Premier League clubs eyeing a move for Lille striker David ahead of the January transfer window. This has been endorsed by Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur who claims that Arsenal are one of the clubs ready to rival Spurs to secure his signing.

Arsenal are long-term admirers of David. Their interest in him dates back to his time in Belgium with Gent before he joined Lille in 2020. If the Gunners were to sign the forward, he would become the second attack-minded player that Edu has signed from the French side after first acquiring Nicolas Pepe in 2019, which ultimately failed to work out.

David was available for a transfer in the summer, and reportedly for a £47m transfer fee. Speaking to Radio Canada, David’s agent Nick Mavromaras said: "For us, the objective is to finish the season in Lille, but it will be his last season there for several reasons."

However, his dip in form towards the end of the last season meant that he was unable to secure a big move away from the French side. But, with David’s contract set to have only have two years remaining beyond January, it means that Arsenal could sign him for a bargain deal.

Despite Gabriel Jesus’ arrival, Edu still needs to add more firepower to Arteta’s options in the upcoming transfer windows. Eddie Nketiah and Jesus will need more goal support from different sources in the team. David has European experience, especially after playing in the Champions League last season, as he led his Lille side to the knockout stages of European's elite competition.

The Gunners' boss has been utilising Jesus as a striker throughout the season. However, his comments before the start of the campaign about the Brazilian suggests that he also wants to use him in a different role, more specifically the wing position. The same also applies to Nketiah, who has already played on the wing, as seen against PSV in the Europa League last month.

But for the Spaniard to continue utilising this option, another forward must be signed to provide depth alongside Nketiah and Jesus.
The Gunners have been given a chance to do this by signing David from Lille.

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