Arsenal could offer Bournemouth one of the four unwanted star players they could trade for Dominic Solanke in January.
The Gunners returned to the top of the Premier League after beating Brighton 2-0 at the Emirates, while challengers Liverpool and Manchester City drew this weekend. Mikel Arteta’s side will next take on Jurgen Klopp’s side at Anfield on Saturday in what will be the deciding game in the battle for the Premier League trophy.
If Arsenal somehow win at Anfield, they will secure top spot at Christmas, which is often a good thing, and make us believe even more that 2024 will finally be their year.
Despite the excellent results that Arsenal are achieving under Arteta, some doubts remain.
For example, several observers believe that the goalkeeping issue is still unresolved, with David Raya not exactly an upgrade on last year’s first choice goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, according to all.
There are also still some doubts about the lack of a strong scorer up front, as neither Eddie Nketiah nor Gabriel Jesus are considered to be the most prolific.
Jesus was one of the goalscorers in the win over Brighton on Sunday, scoring seven goals in 18 games this season. Nketiah has scored six goals in 23 appearances.
However, Arteta continues to be linked with the January purchase of a new striker to help Arsenal reach the title race, and Ivan Toney is among those often linked.
Arsenal focus on Dominic Solanke in January window:
They have also continued to be linked with Dusan Vlahovic and the more ambitious Victor Osimhen, who has a £112m release clause in his contract with Napoli.
Any deal for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, however, looks very prohibitive, especially in the middle of a season in which Villa are also in contention.
However, Sunday’s reports claim that the focus is now also on a deal for Solanke, who is having a hugely successful season at Bournemouth.
The former Liverpool striker has already scored nine goals this season, making him the Premier League’s fifth top scorer this season and the second most successful Englishman behind West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen.
Solanke is reportedly valued at £50 million by Andoni Iraola, but they would be reluctant to lose their top scorer in the middle of the season.
However, if Arsenal persist with their chase, the Cherries will find it hard to resist a deal, especially if the 26-year-old tries to force a transfer.
However, to soften the blow, Bournemouth are said to have accepted the Arsenal player as part of the deal.
As a result, the Daily Express has listed four men Arteta could offer the Cherries as part of any deal for Solanke.
It is claimed that Emile Smith Rowe will be the first name explored, as the three-time England international is struggling for playing time this season and is in dire need of a transfer.
He is behind Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Fabio Vieira in the pecking order and the homegrown star has only started one Premier League game all season.
Bournemouth could be offered four Arsenal star players in exchange
In October, we revealed that Arsenal valued Smith Rowe at £50-60 million, which is comparable to the fee Manchester United paid for Mason Mount, although that price may have since dropped due to the player’s inactivity.
If they are not tempted by the 23-year-old’s offer, Arsenal could offer three other star players instead, including Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Cedric Soares.
Nelson, like Smith Rowe, has struggled to get playing opportunities this season as the winger has made just six Premier League appearances this season, all from the bench.
Nketiah has also dropped to the bench in recent weeks after starting the season in the team. However, the potential signing of a new centre-forward would limit his playing time even further and the striker could agree to move if he is to see regular action.
Soares, on the other hand, could prove to be a viable signing for the Cherries as he has experience of playing at the highest level. Soares, who is in his tenth season in the EPL, has amassed 341 appearances in his career but has made just two appearances in all competitions this season. Arsenal would have no hesitation in allowing him to move as he has only played 65 minutes of football at this point.
Bournemouth are currently without first choice right-back Max Aarons, which means that a haul of the 32-year-old, who has captained Portugal 34 times, would certainly be welcome.
However, it might not be that simple as Iraola is aware of how important Solanke is to his team and will no doubt be keen to not only cash in on the once England striker.