Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners eyeing Lois Openda; Kai Havertz has teammates' trust, and more - October 4, 2023
Arsenal succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Lens at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (October 3). Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring for the north London side, but the hosts took all three points, thanks to Adrien Thomasson and Elye Wahi strikes.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are interested in RB Leipzig striker Lois Openda. Elsewhere, manager Mikel Arteta has been advised on attacker Kai Havertz's ideal position on the pitch.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on October 4, 2023:
Arsenal eyeing Lois Openda
Arsenal are interested in Lois Openda, according to journalist Philipp Hinze. The Gunners remain in the market for a new striker and have identified Openda as an option.
The Belgian striker has started the season on fire since joining RB Leipzig this summer. Openda has registered four goals and two assists, turning heads at the Emirates.
The north London side remain eager to rope in a new No. 9 despite having Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian has struggled with fitness issues, and Arsenal want to add more competition to the position. Openda has all the goods needed to be successful in the Premier League, but prising him away would be a tough task.
The Belgian has a £70 million release clause in his contract, but it only gets activated in 2025. The Gunners are planning to move for him next summer, so they will have to pay more than his release clause to convince Leipzig to sell Openda.
Transfer insider advises Mikel Arteta about Kai Havertz's best position
Transfer insider Ben Jacobs reckons Mikel Arteta should play Kai Havertz in a fixed position to get the best out of the German.
The 24-year-old joined Arsenal from Chelsea this summer but hasn't set the stage alight so far. His form has been a cause of worry for the Gunners, with Arteta failing to get him clicking in midfield.
In his column for Caught Offside, Jacobs outlined three positions that work best for Havertz.
"In my view, Havertz is probably most effective as a false nine, allowing him to drop deeper and link up with wide players.
"And he has all the attributes to be a No.8 or a No.10. These positions play to one of Havertz’s biggest strengths, which is to make incisive, well-timed runs into the box," wrote Jacobs.
He continued
"To get the best out of Havertz, Arteta first needs to be consistent. Is he a starter or a game-impact player off the bench? Is he a No.9, a false nine, a No.10, or a No.8 in a 4-3-3?”
Unless the German improves soon, he could drop down the pecking order at the Emirates.
West Ham don't miss Declan Rice, says Kurt Zouma
West Ham United have coped well with Declan Rice's departure, according to Kurt Zouma.
The English midfielder left the London Stadium this summer to join Arsenal in a blockbuster move. The Gunners paid a club recrod £107 million for his signature, and it's already looking like money well spent.
Rice has hit the ground running at the Emirates and has already become indispensable to Arteta. The 24-year-old will return to his former hunting ground at the start of next month to face the Hammers in the EFL Cup.
Speaking recently, as cited by BBC Sport, Zouma was full of praise for Rice but insisted that there's no love lost between the player and West Ham now.
"We lost a top player, an important player, in Declan. But I think the replacements that we made have been very clever.
"That didn’t affect us, to be fair, we knew he was going to go. He’s played some unbelievable games here. He’ll always be remembered here, but he’s an opponent now," said Zouma.
He continued:
“The players that came in have bought into the project at West Ham. They’ve bought into the tactics. They’ve settled quickly as well. So, we are pleased to have those guys, and they’ve helped us make a really strong start to the season.”
Rice left the Hammers on a high by guiding them to a UEFA Europa Conference League triumph last season.