Chelsea star tipped for shock Arsenal move with Arteta approach to send three Gunners aces packing
Mikel Arteta has been told an easy raid on Chelsea for a star seemingly desperate to quit Stamford Bridge can help take Arsenal on to another level next season.
The Gunners finished the 2022/23 campaign in a hugely-respectable second place. While some will view their finish as a disappointment having led the table for so long, Arsenal can take great satisfaction from the progress made.
And the club’s return to the Champions League means it was very much mission accomplished for Arteta as far as their pre-season aims were concerned.
Next up, Arteta will be plotting ways to go one step further and keep the heat on Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side.
And while Arsenal finished the season as second-top scorers with 88 goals, there were times their attack lacked an obvious figurehead.
Indeed, while Gabriel Jesus did well while available, an injury-riddled campaign saw him miss a large portion of matches. Ultimately, the Brazilian finished with 11 goals in 33 games for the Gunners.
His replacement Eddie Nketiah managed nine in 39 matches, but did not always offer Arsenal a physical presence up front.
Now Darren Bent is tipping Arsenal to swoop on Chelsea for Romelu Lukaku.
The £97.5m signing from Inter Milan in 2021 is due to return to Stamford Bridge this summer after a year on loan at Inter Milan. And while he could collect a Champions League winners medal, his time back at the San Siro has not quite gone to plan.
Having suffered with injuries himself, Lukaku has 13 goals from 34 appearances this season.
Inter, though, cannot afford a full-time deal, and with Chelsea seemingly wanting a big-name centre-forward signing, Lukaku looks set to be left in limbo.
READ MORE: Arsenal risk losing crucial star as Arteta sweats on mammoth wage demands with PSG lurking
Romelu Lukaku an ideal signing for Arsenal
Now Bent is urging Arsenal to consider a big-money approach and reckons the Belgian would thrive under Arteta at Arsenal.
Furthermore, with Arsenal also ready to cash-in on Folarin Balogun, he believes the signing of the 30-year-old would make a lot of sense.
Asked if Arsenal should sign Lukaku, Bent told talkSPORT: “Yes. Without a doubt.”
Bent added: “Do you know what? He would get us more goals than Gabriel Jesus.
“What Gabriel Jesus did at Arsenal [this season] was brilliant. But there were times he frustrates me because he wasn’t in the box enough.
“There were times the ball would flash across the box and no one was in there. Jesus is on the edge of the box. But Lukaku, I know he’s in there.”
Bent claims that, despite the arrival of Lukaku, there could be room for both he and Jesus in the side. And Bent claims he would accommodate the Belgian by moving Jesus out to the left of attack and dropping Gabriel Martinelli.”
He concluded: “I’d start Gabriel Jesus on the left potentially.
“Maybe [Martinelli will be benched], one or the other. It’s a squad game. But I would start Lukaku down the middle over Gabriel Jesus.”
Lukaku has 279 career goals, spanning 586 appearances – a strike rate of a goal every 2.1 appearances.
READ MORE: Arsenal risk losing crucial star as Arteta sweats on mammoth wage demands with PSG lurking
