Arsenal finished fourth in the Premier League for shots on target (15.6 per game) and second in the Premier League for goals (88) this season, but reports suggest Mikel Arteta is still looking to bolster his attack over the summer.
Despite having Buyako Sako who contributed 26 league goals, Martin Odegaard who had a hand in 23 league goals, Gabriel Martinelli who contributed 21 league goals and Leandro Trossard who had a hand in 11 league goals, Marco Demicheli of Calciomercato says Arsenal are interested in Wilfried Gnonto.
The 19-year-old looks to have a bright future after showing promise at Leeds United, and he’s expected to leave following their relegation to the Championship. Gnonto has scored four goals with four assists from 28 games since joining Leeds from FC Zurich in 2022.
The Whites paid £3.8m for him last year but Il Giorno said in March that they could make €50m (£43m) through his sale in the coming weeks. Leeds would no doubt prefer to keep Gnonto, but they’re resigned to losing players after falling out of the top-flight.
Leeds finished 19th in the division with 31 points from 38 games, five points adrift of safety, so they’re not in a strong negotiating position. Arsenal finished second in the table and will be in the Champions League next season, so it’s hard to see Gnonto turning them down if they make their interest official.
The Gunners need strength in depth to compete on all four fronts, but the 19-year-old won’t walk into the starting eleven with Saka and Martinelli for competition. Gnonto is a hot prospect for the future though with six goals in 14 league starts, so he could thrive under Arteta.
Demicheli of Calciomercato noted that Manchester City were also showing an interest in Gnonto, so the Gunners may have a tough task fending off the champions. Fiorentina, Sassuolo and AS Roma were interested prior to his Leeds move too, so time will tell where he ends up in the coming months.
