The summer transfer window is an opportunity for Arsenal to upgrade their squad and bring them closer to the title-challenging sides that Mikel Arteta wants to emulate. One of the possible ways of achieving this will be to look at the likes of Manchester City to poach talent.
Both Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus have been linked to Arsenal ahead of the summer transfer window. Jesus looks the most likely to leave and football.london understands that the Brazilian is on Mikel Arteta’s shortlist of forwards.
The Telegraph reported that Arsenal would explore the possibility of signing Sterling, whose opportunities under Guardiola have not been assured since the arrival of Jack Grealish and the development of Phil Foden.
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I spoke to CBS Sports’ Ben Jacobs regarding the possibility of Sterling joining the Gunners. However, according to Jacobs’ understanding of the situation, Arsenal are not in the lead despite their strong league position.
“Sterling is an interesting one because I do think that the door is open Sterling to leave Manchester City. I think there will be almost a North London Derby-style pursuit for Sterling," said Jacobs.
“From what I gather, should he leave Manchester City, Tottenham are ahead of Arsenal in that particular pursuit. So, if Sterling is to join Arsenal, then Edu and Arteta are going to have to move quite quickly.
“But I think that Sterling is very intent, even though he'll know Arteta very well, to play under [Antonio] Conte as his next manager if he is to make the move. The reason for that is because Tottenham have given him guarantees about style and about position. I think Sterling feels under [Pep] Guardiola that he, as he’s aged, has kind of done a full loop of what's required of him. He's gone from wide, to a forward, to false nine almost, to a focal point, to box-to-box, to wide again, to forward again.
“He's been relied upon for goals and then he's gone back to someone that’s supposed to be a bit more selfless and then he’s aged a little bit and maybe lost a little bit of pace and confidence. If you look at his full cycle as a footballer, he had everything except the finishing and then there was a point at Manchester City where suddenly couldn't stop scoring goals and now he's bit more hit and miss, and he's playing a bit less often, and there are lots of different players in that position."
Arsenal with Champions League football will be a huge draw for any transfer target. However, Jacobs believes that it is what Sterling will be sold in terms of the club’s plan for him that will make Spurs the more attractive proposition to the England international.
“I think that Tottenham’s pitch is around, ‘Let's get you back to doing what you do best, which is scoring goals.’ I think that Arsenal’s pitch is going to be, ‘Let's get you back to what you did at the beginning of your career, which is being a very fluid, very versatile wide player that cuts inside.’
“So actually, this is almost development for what direction he is going to head, and I don't think Arsenal are prepared to tell Sterling he would join the football club and be relied upon as the main source of goals. Because that feels very ‘Arsene Wengery.’ It feels very interchangeable, it feels very undefined about where your goals are coming from.
“I think that it is important, therefore, that Sterling, when he makes his decision, knows what he's in for and it wouldn't at all surprise me if he determines in the end of it that Spurs is better because he gets slightly more rigid guidance as to how he gets to play. I think that that style that he’s offered at Tottenham if he leaves Manchester City will be in his mind a better fit than at Arsenal.”
Should Arsenal want to continue to close the gap they need to be beating a side like Spurs to these players. With the North London Derby taking place tomorrow (Thursday), the outcome would have a huge weight on who qualifies for the Champions League.
Should Arsenal win, the top four is theirs. This might be the allure that leads to transfer targets, such as Sterling, to lean towards choosing the Gunners over their north London rivals.
