Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Former player urges Matt Turner to leave Emirates; Gunners turned down chance to sign Benfica full-back this summer, and more - November 3, 2022
Arsenal will host Zurich at the Emirates on Thursday (November 3) on matchday six of the UEFA Europa League. Mikel Arteta's team are atop Group A after five games, two ahead of second-placed PSV Eindhoven. The Gunners will win the group by matching PSV's result against Bodo/Glimt or if the Eredivisie side do not win.
Meanwhile, former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Brad Friedel has advised Matt Turner to leave the Emirates. Elsewhere, acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that the Gunners turned down the opportunity to sign a Benfica full-back this summer.
@EuropaLeague 
🔜 @EuropaLeague 🏆 https://t.co/24DtElVtH9
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on November 3, 2022:
Brad Friedel urges Matt Turner to leave Emirates
Brad Friedel reckons Matt Turner should leave the Emirates in search of regular football.
The 28-year-old arrived in London this summer but has mostly been warming the bench so far. The American goalkeeper is behind Aaron Ramsdale in the pecking order and has appeared only in the Europa League.
Speaking to Fair Betting Sites, as relayed by The Metro, Friedel said that his compatriot is too good to sit on the bench.
"Time will tell if it’s the right decision. When you’re in the MLS, this is what I’ll say – it’s hard to turn down a club like Arsenal coming in for you. But when you move, and you’re as good as Matt Turner, I’d like to think that you would move, and you’re being told that you were gonna be the number one, which obviously wasn’t the case at Arsenal," said Friedel.
He added:
"Matt’s a heck of a nice guy and a heck of a good goalkeeper. I personally think he’s too good of a goalkeeper to be sitting on the bench. I don’t know what kind of deal they have with Arsenal or what, but I hope if he’s not in the team, or doesn’t look like he’s gonna get near the team, then they would allow him to leave or go on loan."
The 28-year-old has appeared four times this season for Arsenal. Turner is likely to face some of his Gunners teammates when the USA take on England at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar on November 25.
Arsenal turned down chance to sign Alejandro Grimaldo this summer
Fabrizio Romano has said that Arsenal were offered the chance to sign Alejandro Grimaldo this summer.
The Spanish full-back has caught the eye recently and is reportedly a target for the Gunners now. They had the chance to secure his services earlier in the summer when Arteta was looking for a left-back.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that the north London side could have signed Grimaldo but opted for Oleksandr Zinchenko instead.
"Grimaldo was offered to Arsenal last summer, but they (Gunners) decided to proceed with Zinchenko as their priority target. Now many clubs are following him, as it’s a big opportunity on the market, but there are no negotiations ongoing yet; also Juventus have sent their scouts to follow Grimaldo in the last few months," wrote Romano.
The 27-year-old has scored two goals from 20 games this season for Benfica, who pipped PSG to top spot in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
David Seaman concerned about Gabriel Jesus
Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman is worried about Gabriel Jesus' lack of confidence.
The Brazilian enjoyed a blistering start at the Emirates after joining this summer from Manchester City, but the goals have dried up for him reccetnly. The 25-year-old also failed to find the back of the net against Nottingham Forest last weekend, when the Gunners scored five unanswered goals.
Is Gabriel Jesus Arsenal's most important player? 🤔
#AFC #Arsenal #GabrielJesus https://t.co/RbUXCzbAPO
Speaking on his podcast Seaman Says, as cited by Caught Offside, Seaman said that fans are looking forward to Jesus rediscovering his scoring boots.
"The fans were so desperate for Jesus to score (on Sunday). Every time he was around the box, they were saying, ‘Give it to Jesus! Give it to Jesus!’. They were saying his confidence is low, because he hasn’t scored for a while," said Seaman.
He added:
“I was thinking it might actually be a bit lower you know, because we have scored five, and he hasn’t scored one. You know, so it’s a bit … it was weird. As soon as Odegaard gets (the ball), he looks for Jesus, they are looking for these little passes.”
Jesus has scored five times in 16 games across competitions this season for the north London side.