Arsenal could hijack a Manchester United deal and sign an Eredivisie forward from under their rivals' noses.
That's according to one report, with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta having made no secret of his desire to add "firepower" to his squad. Manchester City pair Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus have moved to north London along with Porto playmaker Fabio Vieira and young Brazilian starlet Marquinhos. US national team keeper Matt Turner has also joined.
Arteta was hoping to complete his squad with the acquisition of Pedro Neto in the last few days of the transfer window – but the price is a sticking point. With a couple of alternatives in the pipeline, however, one source claims that the north Londoners may get one over on United before their trip to Old Trafford this Sunday.
Sky Sports senior reporter Melissa Reddy has confirmed on air that the Gunners have been looking into a move for Gakpo. The Telegraph recently claimed that Southampton had a bid rejected, too.
"It’s not surprising that a lot of Premier League clubs are looking at him," Reddy said. "One of the names I was told to keep an eye out for is Arsenal, who have said they would like to enhance their offensive options.”
Gakpo was first linked with Arsenal back in January when it became clear that the Gunners would be needing replacements for both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette – but reportedly signed a new deal with PSV back then to protect his value.
The chances of the north Londoners still moving for Gakpo are perhaps remote, though. There hasn't been any talk of a dialogue between them or their Europa League group rivals, PSV, with Arteta seemingly favouring a left-footed profile in the shape of Pedro Neto or previous target, Raphinha. A swoop for Gakpo now would feel a little like a panic buy – something Arsenal typically haven't done under Arteta's stewardship.
Despite interest from a raft of English sides, though, Gakpo has remained in the Eredivisie for now, since PSV were fighting for Champions League qualification and wanted to keep the goal-getter to help with their play-off ties. Now, however, the Dutchman might be more inclined to leave – especially since his club failed and ended up in the Europa League.
The 23-year-old is predominantly a left-winger but has filled in on the right for PSV. That may well be the position that interests Arteta the most, given that the Spaniard is seeking a back-up option to Bukayo Saka – though it's not out of the question for Gakpo to fill in centrally, with either Gabriel Martinelli or Gabriel Jesus on the right.
Gakpo is valued at £27 million by Transfermarkt.
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Arsenal are still looking for the “mystery winger” to complete their squad, while a midfielder has also been touted.
After Nicolas Pepe left the Gunners for more minutes on loan at Nice, manager Mikel Arteta declared a desire to “add firepower”, though he cannot guarantee a new player will come in. The Gunners have interest in Pedro Neto, as well as a Ukrainian wonderkid.
Mohamed Elneny’s injury means that midfield might need strengthening, too. FFT reported months ago that personal terms with Youri Tielemans were agreed, with the north Londoners just needing to agree a fee with Leicester: now, one obstacle remains. In other news, Bukayo Saka has hinted that he’s close to extending his contract.
