Don Hutchison has backed Arsenal to complete the double transfer swoop of Raphinha from Leeds and Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, as he told US-based TV ESPN.
The TV pundit added that if Arsenal can secure the signature of Jesus from the Premier League champions, then it would be a ‘statement signing’ from the north London club.
With the 2022 summer transfer window wide open, Arsenal are keen to land Raphinha’s talents from Leeds, as well as trying to lure Jesus away from the Etihad.
If both can be snapped up by the Champions League-chasing side this summer, then it would send out a signal of intent from Mikel Arteta’s side ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League season.
Nonetheless, with all the transfer talk about Jesus and Raphinha possibly heading to Arsenal, this is what Hutchison had to say.
“If they got Gabriel Jesus, then that would be a signing,” said Hutchison.
“I mean, Raphinha is some player. I think he was on the radar of Liverpool at one point, before Luis Diaz came in. But I think Jesus would be a statement signing.”
JESUS AND RAPHINHA WALK INTO ARSENAL’S XI
Jesus doesn’t have much competition if he were to move to the Emirates, other than fighting Eddie Nketiah for a first-team spot and the Brazil international wins that battle hands down.
Then there is Raphinha, who for a struggling, defensively woeful, injury-hit and relegation-threatened Leeds side, scored 11 Premier League goals and supplied three assists last season.
The same number of goals Bukayo Saka hit in the colours of his boyhood club, who just like the Leeds trickster, likes to play out on the right, so he can cut in on his favoured left foot.
Either way, Arteta could fit both of them into Arsenal’s XI and what oomph and bite would they both bring to the table if they were singing off the same hymn sheet.
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