Arteta delight as exciting winger names Arsenal his dream next club to shun Man Utd, Tottenham interest
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Arsenal have been given a major boost as a talented young winger has revealed his desire to play for the Gunners one day, in a move which would see him reject Premier League rivals Manchester United and Tottenham.
Arsenal have been busy in the summer transfer window, signing three big-name players to help them go one step further and beat Manchester City to the Prem title next season. Kai Havertz has joined from Chelsea for £65million, Declan Rice has signed in a club-record £105m deal from West Ham, and Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber has swapped Ajax for the Emirates in a £38.5m transfer.
Arsenal have also looked into replacing Thomas Partey with Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, who is rated at the £50m mark. But it appears Lavia is more likely to join Liverpool instead.
Another player Arsenal missed out on this summer is England U18 winger Adrian Blake. On April 10, TEAMtalk exclusively revealed how Arsenal, Man Utd and Tottenham were all interested in Blake as he prepared to leave Watford on a free transfer.
Ultimately, the starlet ended up taking a different route as he signed a four-year deal with Dutch club FC Utrecht.
But it would not be a surprise if Blake ended up coming back to his home country in the next few years. During an interview with Dutch source NOS (translated by Sport Witness), Blake has spoken about his decision to head to the Netherlands, while also making a big hint about a potential Arsenal move.
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“There was interest in me from the Premier League, but I would not get any opportunities in a first team there,” he admitted.
“I will get them at Utrecht. The club has mapped out a trajectory for me and I have chosen change.
Arsenal target wants to follow in Madueke footsteps
“I am a winner and I want to entertain people. Many football players have made a name for themselves here, such as Noni Madueke. The choice to come to Utrecht was therefore a no-brainer for me.”
It is interesting that the teenager namechecked Madueke. The 21-year-old made a name for himself at PSV, registering 20 goals in 80 matches from right wing. This earned him a £30m transfer to Chelsea in the January transfer window.
Blake, 18, added: “I hope to play for Arsenal one day. I know Dennis Bergkamp, of course. He was a fantastic player. Everyone remembers that goal against Newcastle United.”
Arteta will be excited about the teenager’s comments. It would make sense for Arsenal to keep tabs on his development and swoop in with an offer if he shines in the Eredivise. As Blake would like to play for Arsenal, he would give his all to try and become a big hit in North London.
Of course, it must be noted that it will be tough for Blake to get into the Arsenal first team, should such a transfer go ahead. Arteta has Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli as his starting wingers, while he can also rely on Leandro Trossard and Reiss Nelson in wide areas. But if Blake proves to be as talented as Madueke, then he will certainly be able to make an impact in the Prem.