Brighton & Hove Albion star Kaoru Mitoma stunned Fara Williams against Leicester City on Saturday. The Japan international is also now of interest to Arsenal for a potential transfer.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side visited the King Power Stadium in their first Premier League fixture since selling Leandro Trossard to Arsenal. The Gunners signed the Belgian this Friday for an initial £20m, rising to £27m. He could now make his debut at home to Manchester United.
Arsenal had also considered a transfer for Mitoma before finalising terms with Brighton for Trossard, per 90min. The north London club appreciate what the 25-year-old is showing at the Amex Stadium. But Emirates Stadium chiefs felt Trossard was the more attainable deal.
Mitoma earned Arsenal’s interest as Mikel Arteta targeted offensive reinforcements after he scored three and assisted one goal through 13 Premier League appearances this term. The 13-cap Japan ace would bag his fourth strike of the term at Leicester to open the scoring.
Timothy Castagne could only stick out his leg in a desperate bid to block the £4.5m former Union Saint-Gilloise winger’s shot. Mitoma picked the ball up on the left-hand channel and cut inside onto his right foot to whip the ball into the far corner from the edge of the area.
Brighton star Mitoma shows why Arsenal are now interested in his transfer
Mitoma curled a shot home from outside of the Leicester box to beat Danny Ward and put Brighton 1-0 up. But De Zerbi’s side would only leave the King Power with one point thanks to Evan Ferguson’s (88’) late reply after Marc Albrighton (38’) and Harvey Barnes (63’) hit.
Arsenal will have taken stock of Mitoma’s goal for Brighton but are unlikely to also gain his transfer this month. The Telegraph reports the Kawasaki, Kanagawa-born dynamo is not in a rush to leave the Amex. He only moved to the south coast in 2021 on a contract to 2025.
Mitoma’s goal as Brighton drew 2-2 at Leicester may not lead to a transfer to Arsenal but it stunned Williams. The former England midfielder was effusive with praise for the left-sided winger after his deadlock-breaking goal. It was his first from outside of the box this season.
“Unbelievable,” Williams said on the BBC’s Final Score. “Mitoma is an exciting player. What a signing, for what they got him for. It’s a great goal, it gets played through the midfield and he bends it into the far top corner. He is an unbelievable player, really exciting.”
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