Arsenal and Manchester City set to engage in transfer battle to sign MLS starlet: Reports
Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester City are set to face off in a transfer battle for New England Revolution's Noel Buck.
As per reports from The Athletic (via Goal), the two English giants are interested in acquiring 18-year-old Buck's services. However, they face competition from fellow PL side Burnley, as well as teams from the Bundesliga.
It is no secret that since Mikel Arteta left Manchester City's assistant role to become Arsenal manager, the two clubs have scouted players of similar profiles. This is due to Arteta's similar preferences to Pep Guardiola, whom he worked under for nearly four seasons.
Now, both Arsenal and Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Noel Buck, who usually plays as a left-sided midfielder, a position both clubs would love to sort out for the long term.
Buck was born in the United States, but has been the subject of a recruitment battle between the country of his birth and England. Buck qualifies for the latter as his father is English, making the youngster eligible to play for the Three Lions. He eventually chose England and has subsequently been called up to their under-19 setup.
The midfielder has made 29 appearances for New England Revolution this year, scoring three goals and providing one assist in the process. This saga could get interesting as Arsenal and Manchester City will take their battle off the pitch.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City the most common winning scoreline in English league history
Despite it taking nearly eight years to happen since the last time, Arsenal's 1-0 win over Manchester City on October 8 was the 100th time the Gunners have defeated the Cityzens in English league history.
Gabriel Martinelli came on as a substitute in the second half and grabbed a late winner as Arteta's men put an end to their hoodoo against Pep Guardiola's team. It was the first time since December 2015 that the Gunners had defeated City.
However, the 1-0 result is much more common in the broader sense, with Opta reporting it to be the most common winning result in English league history. In fact, the Gunners even hold second and third place with 1-0 wins over Everton and Newcastle achieved 21 times apiece.
Man City are on the list as well, with their 1-0 wins over Chelsea ranking fourth, while Manchester United's 1-0 wins over Aston Villa complete the top five.
Zooming out on this result and seeing what it means in the bigger picture could do Mikel Arteta and his men a world of good as they aim to finally surpass Man City and win the Premier League this season.