Arsenal legend Lee Dixon has called on his old club to make a ‘superb’ midfield signing and is confident the player will agree to a move to the Emirates.
Lille and England star Angel Gomes is the player in question, having enjoyed an impressive rise over the last 12 months that has seen him thrive in Spain and become a Three Lions regular as a result.
The 24-year-old was at Manchester United’s academy for almost a decade but only ended up making 10 appearances for the club before deciding to move on in 2020 for a regular first-team action.
After initially arriving on loan, Gomes has now made more than 100 appearances for Lille and played a major role in guiding England Under-21s to Euros success in 2023.
He is now considered a shoo-in for England’s 2026 World Cup squad, should they qualify under newly-appointed coach Thomas Tuchel.
And, given his rapid rise, Dixon has urged his old teammate and Arsenal sporting director Edu to bring Gomes to north London.
“I think Angel Gomes would fit in at Arsenal superbly,” Dixon told plejmo.com. “His qualities are clear to see, he’s a very good link-up player and we’ve seen that he can play alongside Declan Rice.
“He’s got a lot of potential and although there will be plenty of clubs looking at him, I could see him at Arsenal next season.”
It’s been two decades since the Gunners last claimed top-flight trophy success, but adding Gomes to that midfield mix would certainly compliment the likes of Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Thomas Partey, if he stays.
The England man also has the ability to play further forward as a No.10 and would be welcome cover for skipper Martin Odegaard, given how much Arsenal have missed the injured playmaker in recent weeks.
But in terms of the Gunners’ title hopes this season, Dixon fears Arteta’s reign will have to be considered a ‘failure’ if it continues to evade Arsenal.
“If Mikel Arteta leaves Arsenal without winning the Premier League or Champions League at Arsenal you’d have to say it’s been a failure because that’s what he is there to do, to win the biggest trophies,” Dixon added.
“He would be the first to say that and of course we don’t know how long he will be in the job, but not winning one of those would be a massive disappointment.
“It’s a tough competition to win of course, but Arsenal’s defence could be the key to winning the Champions League for the first time.
“It’s so tough to win, as Arsenal have proved over the years since they got to the final, they haven’t come anywhere close since. It’s tough with all the big teams and you do need a bit of luck, but you have to have a firm base and they have got that with their defence now.
“They’ve got that solidarity to build on and they need to get through the winter months with few injuries, that is the challenge for all the clubs in Europe.”
The Gunners are back in Premier League action on Saturday when they welcome Bournemouth to The Emirates.
Latest Arsenal transfer news: Gunners face Garcia test / Argentine starlet eyed
Arsenal’s resolve may be tested over summer target Joan Garcia as Espanyol have reportedly set a deadline for when the goalkeeper’s release clause increases.
The 23-year-old was the subject of multiple bids from Arsenal over the summer but Espanyol insisted he would only depart if the Gunners were willing to meet his £25m (€30m, $33.2m) release clause.
Sporting director Edu’s side went in a different direction and eventually secured Bournemouth keeper Neto on a season-long loan as a backup to David Raya, but reports in Spain suggest Garcia could be snapped up for a cut-price fee in the first half of January.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has given his backing to an “incredible” Argentine teammate, who has reportedly caught the attention of Premier League giants Arsenal.
When Gomes’ name appeared in interim manager Lee Carsley’s maiden squad list since stepping up from his role at the helm of the under-21s to replace Gareth Southgate in the top job, it was something of a surprise.
But for anyone who’d followed Gomes as he progressed through the Man Utd youth ranks, the only surprise is that the 24-year-old’s international ascension has taken so long.
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