Francis Jeffers urges Arsenal to sign key Bayern Munich player this summer

Francis Jeffers urges Arsenal to sign key Bayern Munich player this summer & makes huge claim ahead of Gunners’ trip to Old Trafford next month

• “Without sounding mad, you never know what the table will look like by the time Arsenal go to Old Trafford, but if they’re right up there and still in the race – which they should be – you wonder whether Man United will want to beat them…”
• “Even if they were to go and win the Champions League and the Premier League, you’d expect them to freshen things up and bring some new faces through the door in the summer, maybe one big name.”
• “Having watched someone like Leon Goretzka playing at the Emirates earlier this week, I can’t help but think that someone like him, a beast of a number six – with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard ahead of him – would be a great addition to the squad.”
• “Thomas Partey has had a lot of injuries in the last year or so and has just been out for five months, so I don’t know what Mikel Arteta will be thinking about when it comes to him, whether or not he moves him on.”
• “Without sounding mad, you never know what the table will look like by the time Arsenal go to Old Trafford, but if they’re right up there and still in the race – which they should be – you wonder whether Man United will want to beat them…”
• “You have to give great credit to Mikel Arteta and the job he’s done with this team; they’re now in a place where, since the start of this year, they’ve won 10 of their 11 games, and the only game they dropped points in was away at Man City. And yet, it wouldn’t even be a huge surprise to see them go and win their last seven… that’s incredible, really.”

Arsenal need to sign Goretzka this summer… a beast of a number six to allow Declan Rice to push on

It’s hard to pick faults in this Arsenal team right now, but even if they were to go and win the Champions League and the Premier League, you’d expect them to freshen things up and bring some new faces through the door in the summer, maybe one big name.

For me, looking at them right now, Declan Rice is better when he’s allowed to go and impact the game; not just sitting in that number six role, so having watched someone like Leon Goretzka playing at the Emirates earlier this week, I can’t help but think that someone like him, a beast of a number six – with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard ahead of him – would be a great addition to the squad.

That’s the area where I think they could potentially look to strengthen. Obviously Thomas Partey has had a lot of injuries in the last year or so and has just been out for five months, so I don’t know what Mikel Arteta will be thinking about when it comes to him, whether or not he moves him on.

Jorginho is one of those players who does read the game really well, but in terms of physicality, I just think that in that area of the pitch, you look at the likes of Bayern on Tuesday, and you look at Manchester City… Goretzka, Rodri… these are the type of players who really strike fear into opponents when they’re lining up in the tunnel.

I just think a beast of a number six for Arsenal is something I’d definitely look at bringing in this summer.

The number nine position is one which gets spoken about a lot in this Arsenal team. We know Arteta likes playing Kai Havertz there, and he likes him to come and link and get involved. But there were times yesterday when balls were coming into the six-yard box, but there wasn’t an Arsenal player there to get on the end of them.

I just think an out-and-out number nine would add so much to this side. Gabriel Jesus, you know, is a top, top player – you only have to look at what he did yesterday in the build-up to the second goal. But these players aren’t going to get you 30+ goals a season…

Man United predicament could lead to Arsenal winning the title…

Looking at the next few weeks and how they might pan out for Arsenal, to be honest, I still fancy Man City. I think City have got one potentially dodgy game against Tottenham – who have a say in everything because they’ve still got to play all three sides going for the title – but other than that, I can see them going and winning every game. And even that Spurs game, I’d expect City to win.

The two games I see as potential slip-ups for Arsenal are Spurs and Manchester United, both away from home. Man United will probably have nothing to play for at that point, other than pride… I don’t see them sneaking into the top four.

Without sounding mad, you never know what the table will look like by the time Arsenal go to Old Trafford, but if they’re right up there and still in the race – which they should be – you wonder whether Man United will want to beat them. You know, when you look at Man United’s rivals, yes Arsenal are up there. But do United want Liverpool winning it? Do United want City winning it? Probably not. That’s just the way it is, so the atmosphere in the ground could be really strange, actually.

Listen, I’m not questioning the integrity of any of these teams, but the atmosphere inside that ground can sometimes dictate how the team plays, and with City, Liverpool and Arsenal all going strong in the title race, the atmosphere at Old Trafford on that day might just allow Arsenal to go on and win that game.

Liverpool have still got some tough games to play as well, not least the derby game… you know, whatever you might say about Everton right now, the atmosphere in the ground that night will be electric and Everton will be absolutely desperate to stop Liverpool from winning the title. Listen, it’s a derby game, so anything could happen, couldn’t it? Liverpool’s two potential games where they slip up are away at Everton and away at Aston Villa.

I just see Liverpool and Arsenal both drawing – and maybe even losing – one game between now and the end of the season, whereas I see City winning every league game between now and the end of the season, which puts them top. Barring no massive injuries, I just think that with City, the mentality kicks in at this time of the season, and I can just see them doing what they always do; becoming a different animal.

You have to give great credit to Mikel Arteta and the job he’s done with this team; they’re now in a place where, since the start of this year, they’ve won 10 of their 11 games, and the only game they dropped points in was away at Man City. And yet, it wouldn’t even be a huge surprise to see them go and win their last seven… that’s incredible, really.

To be in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and sitting top of the Premier League with seven games to go… you know, you have to give them huge credit. They fell apart last season but they’ve bounced straight back. I’ve got to be honest, the way in which they fell out of the title race last season, I actually questioned whether they needed a few more years to build themselves back up and challenge at the top of the table again, but here they are with seven games to go, so fair play to them.

Arsenal are currently the second-favourites to win the Premier League next month, ahead of Liverpool and just behind Manchester City.

They’re also the second-favourites to win the Champions League in June. The Gunners drew 2-2 with Bayern Munich in London this week, and travel to Germany next week for their away second-leg quarter-final tie.