According to a recent report by the Daily Express, Premier League giants Arsenal are said to be leading the race for the signature of Celtic forward Odsonne Edouard, with various clubs from England and Europe claimed to be keen on the Frenchman’s services. Furthermore, speaking on the Transfer Window Podcast, football expert Ian McGarry has suggested that the Celtic striker could, in fact, be well-suited to Newcastle United – one of the clubs interested in his signature. The pundit also claimed that the Scottish champions are expecting a fee in the region of £40m for Edouard.
Even with Arsenal leading the race for Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard, McGarry went on to clarify that the striker’s first priority is to get regular first-team football and that Newcastle would seem like a better bet with that point in mind.
Speaking on the Transfer Window Podcast, he said, “He has been attracting interest from a lot of clubs, mainly in the Premier League but also in Europe as well. A player who has been instrumental this season in Celtic’s rise to be 13 points ahead of Rangers as things stand. There is interest from Newcastle United who are determined to make sensible investments regarding player recruitment.”
What Would The Frenchman Add To The Arsenal Front-Line?
The best way to explain the Frenchman’s skill-set would be to simply describe him as a younger, more energetic and generally faster version of current Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette. Both the aforementioned stars tend to be deadly finishers inside the box, as either of them would need just one opportunity in the ninety minutes to turn the game in their favour completely. What Edouard has going for him though is the fact that the best years of his professional career are still ahead of him.
Dangerous from set-piece situations and possessing amazing strength for a 22-year-old, Edouard has the potential to develop into one of the best strikers in Europe. At such a young age, the former PSG forward is already leading the line at one of the most followed clubs in the world in the Celts. The striker’s exploits over the last couple of years have certainly caught the eye of the entire continent, with a stellar return of 21 goals and 12 assists to show from his 27 Premiership fixtures this season.
What Is The Current Striker Situation At Arsenal?
Although the days of disaster under Unai Emery are now seemingly over, the lack of a regular striker has deterred Mikel Arteta’s progress since taking over as manager. Although Lacazette has been used at times, the experienced Frenchman has struggled to maintain form, and Arteta has had to resort to playing Eddie Nketiah in that position. With all the doubts surrounding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future as well, there is an immediate need for a potent goalscorer, who is also capable of holding up the ball and leading the line.
Arsenal Leading The Race For Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard: Should Arteta Get This Done?
The Gunners’ struggles in front of goal haven’t been felt quite as much as usual this season owing to the brilliant work done by the Gabonese forward. With that said though, it must be conceded that Aubameyang seems to be the only member of the current squad even remotely capable of leading this Arsenal line. As good as he’s been, the fact that the former Dortmund man is already 30 will be a slight concern, and Edouard, in this case, would be an excellent addition to the North London club’s dressing room. Mikel Arteta should get this deal done if possible.
