Mikel Arteta must achieve what Unai Emery couldn’t at Arsenal by signing Christopher Nkunku. The club have been linked to the Frenchman but will need to compete with Paris Saint-Germain for his services.
According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, PSG are looking to bring back Nkunku in the summer transfer. However, Barcelona and the Gunners are also interested in potentially signing him.
The 24-year-old has been a revelation for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga this season. His versatility would certainly be attractive to Arteta, and it is a deal the north London side must strongly pursue.
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The Gunners were heavily linked to the Frenchman in the January window of 2019 when he was still a player at Paris Saint-Germain. Since Arsenal’s failure to sign him Nkunku has gone on to become of Europe’s most attractive players and it would make sense for Edu to register interest in him once again.
It seemed as though the Gunners had made Nkunku their main midfield target in 2019, as Emery who was Arsenal’s manager at the time was a big fan of the youngster after the time they spent together in Paris. However, the north London side went for the cheaper option and signed Denis Suarez from Barcelona on a loan deal instead, which turned out to be a disastrous deal for the Gunners, as the Spaniard only played one league game.
The 24-year-old has played in 42 games so far this season and has scored an impressive 28 goals alongside providing 18 assists in these games. Nine of these goal contributions had come from matches in the Champions League, showing that Nkunku can compete at an elite level.
It is his versatility that will make him more desirable to the Gunners though, as he can feature in a forward position or in the midfield. These are areas that Arsenal desperately need to strengthen due to a lack of quality and shortage of numbers in Arteta’s side.
According to German outlet BILD, RB Leipzig have set a £62m price tag for the Frenchman. This is an absolute steal when you consider the success he has delivered in the Bundesliga over the last three seasons.
Competing for his signature against the likes of PSG, the club where he came through as a youngster, will be incredibly difficult. However, if Arteta can secure Champions League football ahead of next season, then there is every chance that Arsenal can complete a deal for one of Europe’s most promising talents.
