Arsenal's summer plans revealed as Mikel Arteta to battle Manchester City for Pep Guardiola's 'Kevin De Bruyne replacement'

Arsenal are said to be prepared to fight for Morgan Gibbs-White of Nottingham Forest, despite strong interest from Manchester City, who want to replace Kevin De Bruyne.

The Londoners will take on Southampton in their final Premier League game of 2024-25, with the Gunners all but assured of a third consecutive second-placed finish.

Manager Mikel Arteta has faced more scrutiny this campaign for his failure to deliver a trophy, though he has been let down by the performances of his attacking players.

Their tally of 67 goals in the top flight this term is 18 fewer than champions Liverpool, and they have also scored fewer goals than Manchester City (70) and Newcastle United (68).

It is not surprising that Arteta would be keen for Arsenal to strengthen, and Football Insider report that Nottingham Forest attacker Gibbs-White is a desired target, though they will face competition from long-term admirers City.

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Where would Gibbs-White play for Arsenal?

After suffering numerous injuries to forward players such as Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, Arsenal will be keen to add depth in order to avoid another crisis.

However, while Gibbs-White is a powerful ball carrier and is able to play in wide zones, he has excelled for Forest in a more central role.

Should the 25-year-old join the Gunners, he would arguably be at his best in Martin Odegaard's position, though it is hard to see Arteta dropping his captain.

The only other position that the Englishman could find success in would be left-wing, and given the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have been criticised this term, Gibbs-White would undoubtedly face less competition for a starting spot.

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The case for City

At his peak, De Bruyne was also an excellent ball carrier, with his athleticism a key reason why Pep Guardiola has won six Premier League titles.

It is not difficult to see how Gibbs-White might fit into the Manchester City team in an advanced midfield role, though it should be noted that he does not possess the City legend's passing range.

If Guardiola was to sign Gibbs-White, he would likely need to bring in a specialised passer in order to complement the Englishman's skillset.

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Written by
Lewis Nolan