"I know that Arsenal fans are probably thinking, 'Absolutely not!'" – Darren Bent urges Arsenal to sign Chelsea outcast
Ex-Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent has tipped Arsenal to launch a surprise move for Chelsea outcast Romelu Lukaku this summer.
The Gunners were dealt a blow ahead of the start of the 2023-24 Premier League season in the form of a Gabriel Jesus injury earlier this week. They lost their striker to an ankle issue during the Mikel Arteta-coached outfit's 5-4 friendly penalties win over AS Monaco on July 2.
Arsenal, who have already signed three summer arrivals worth around £210 million so far, have Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun as backup number nines. In light of their current crisis, Bent told talkSPORT:
"I said it before about number nines that are out there. I'm a big fan of Nketiah. I know not everyone is, but I think he's a goal-scorer... if you give him opportunities he will score. I think Balogun did well on loan, so a lot of fans are kind of crying out to see what he can do."
Suggesting Lukaku as a perfect competition for Jesus, Bent continued:
"But I even said for a year, if it was an option, I would take Lukaku. I know that Arsenal fans are probably thinking, 'Absolutely not!', but I think I would. He's got pedigree in the Premier League, he's a big, physical presence, he's a battering ram. A little bit like when Olivier Giroud was at Arsenal... others too can play off the Chelsea man."
Highlighting a dearth of available and affordable centre-forwards apart from the ex-Manchester United and current Chelsea man, Bent added:
"I think that would be good but if you can't get Lukaku and you don't fancy Nketiah, you don't fancy Balogun, there's not many out there."
Lukaku, 30, spent the entirety of last season on loan at Inter Milan. He contributed 14 goals and seven assists in just 1988 minutes of first-team action, spread across 37 overall appearances for the Nerazzurri.
Could Chelsea ace Romelu Lukaku prove to be a good signing for Arsenal this summer?
Romelu Lukaku, who joined Chelsea in a £97 million transfer from Inter Milan in 2020, has reportedly been told that he is not in Mauricio Pochettino's plans for next campaign. He is believed to be in preliminary talks to join Juventus in a potential swap deal involving Dusan Vlahovic this summer, according to the Daily Mail.
Should the former Everton striker join Arsenal instead, he could prove to be a great signing for them. He would provide competition to Gabriel Jesus, easily displacing Eddie Nketiah as the go-to backup star.
Lukaku, whose deal is set to expire in June 2026 at Chelsea, has a rich experience in the Premier League. He has appeared in 278 league games in England, netting 121 goals and providing 43 assists so far.