The Gunners legend has had his say on what he is concerned about when it comes to Arsenal’s start to the season amid a surprise Emile Smith Rowe transfer rumour.
Arsenal dropped points on Saturday for the first time this season following a 2-2 draw at home against Fulham and the Gunners appear to have been rocked by the slight hiccup.
The result means their title rivals Manchester City are now the only side in the division to boast a 100 per-cent start with three wins from three, putting two points worth of daylight between themselves and Mikel Arteta’s men early on. Since full-time on Saturday, the majority of the reports surrounding Arsenal have hardly been positive, with shock exits touted as well as club legends revealing their concerns.
Arteta will have to do his very best to ensure all of the internal focus is on Sunday’s clash against Manchester United, but expect plenty of late drama with four days left before the transfer window slums shut until the new year.
With that being said, here are some of the main talking points emerging out of the Emirates on Tuesday, August 29.
Wright reveals worry.
Arsenal icon Ian Wright has conceded he is worried about the soft goals his former side are shipping and questioned the lack of game time for Gabriel Magalhaes.
Speaking in the wake of the 2-2 draw, Wright was asked by Premier League productions whether he was worried about the seemingly constant sloppy starts. He replied: “A little bit worried. There is a bit of sloppy play. I think they need to tighten up at the start of games.
There were times when I was watching the game and I felt nervous for us. We don’t seem to be as confident as I thought we could have been in managing the game once we got back into it when we were 2-1 up.”
Gunners academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe is the subject of stunning transfer rumour linking the 23-year-old with a move to Arsenal’s fierce London rivals Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino ‘s side have already surpassed the £300million mark this transfer window alone, but could still look to add Smith Rowe to their ranks before Friday’s deadline. He certainly won’t come cheap given he has three years left to run on his current Arsenal deal, but that is unlikely to deter the league’s biggest spenders.
It is believed that the Chelsea boss feels that the Blues are still lacking something from an attacking perspective after one win from their opening three games and as a result, attentions have shifted to Smith Rowe, who has found first-team minutes hard to come by at the Emirates in recent times.
Chelsea’s interest in the Gunners academy graduate is hardly at an advanced stage and Arsenal may be unwilling to sell altogether, but the fact that it is even a possibility is a damning indictment of how far the England international’s stock has fallen.
Arsenal’s summer window has been defined by incomings, but with just days of the window left the club have now placed the onus firmly on trying to cash in on fringe players.
According to a Football.London, the Gunners are aiming to sanction the exit of six players. Folarin Balogun is likely to be the first and most lucrative departure to be confirmed, with the striker on the verge of a £38million move to Monaco.
Rob Holding has a number of suitors in both Turkey and Spain, while Nuno Tavares is attracting interest from Germany as well as some Premier League sides, including Aston Villa.
Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nicolas Pepe and Cedric could all also call time on their respective Arsenal careers before Friday.
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