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Arsenal have a good chance of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League this season. The north London side are currently sixth in the league, two points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, but have three games in hand.
Meanwhile, Darren Bent believes the Gunners were right to offload striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Elsewhere, the Premier League side could face competition from Bayern Munich for Djed Spence.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on 3rd March 2022:
Darren Bent praises Arsenal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang decision
Former England international Darren Bent believes Arsenal made the right call in letting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang go.
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The Gabon international was frozen out of the first team by manager Mikel Arteta due to a disciplinary breach at the end of last year. He was stripped off the club captaincy. Subsequently, the north London side opted to offload the 32-year-old to Barcelona in January on a free transfer.
Since moving to Camp Nou, Aubameyang has been on fire. The Gabonese striker has scored five goals in six appearances so far as he has taken to La Liga like a fish to water. However, Bent insists there shouldn't be any regrets from the Gunners about letting Aubameyang go.
Speaking to talkSPORT, the Englishman pointed out that Aubameyang wasn't happy at the Emirates.
“No, they won’t (regret it) because he wasn’t showing that kind of form at Arsenal. I think he’d gone stale there. Clearly, he wasn’t happy at Arsenal. Arteta didn’t think he featured in their plans," said Bent.
“He’s gone to Barcelona; he looks rejuvenated. He looks like he’s got a point to prove; he is scoring goals. And I’d expect that a lot of strikers go to new clubs and hit the ground running. That’s exactly what he’s done," added Bent.
Bent believes the 32-year-old wouldn't have had the same impact had he stayed at the Emirates.
“But he wouldn’t have had the same impact at Arsenal as he’s having at Barcelona because it just looked like it had come to the end. He was frustrated; the club was frustrated. It was the right decision for both parts," said Bent.
Aubameyang ended his stint at Arsenal by netting 92 times in 163 games across competitions. That includes seven goals in 15 games in the first half of the ongoing season.
Gunners face Bayern Munich competition for Djed Spence
Bayern Munich have entered the race for Djed Spence, according to The Daily Mail via Sky Sports News.
The Englishman has caught the eye with a string of assured performances for Nottingham Forest, where he is currently on loan from Middlesbrough. He has scored twice and assisted thrice in 32 games across competitions this season. Arsenal are looking to add the 21-year-old to their roster.
The north London side invested in Takehiro Tomiyasu last summer, but lack a proper backup to the Japanese. Arteta wants to address the issue this summer, and has Spence on his wishlist. However, the Bavarians are also interested in the Englishman, and have their eyes on the 21-year-old ahead of the summer.
Reportedly, Bundesliga clubs Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen, and AS Roma and Inter Milan are also in the fray for his services.
Marseille sign Matteo Guendouzi permanently
Marseille have signed Matteo Guendouzi on a permanent deal, according to The Hard Tackle via Fabrizio Romano.
The Frenchman moved to the Ligue 1 side from the Gunners last summer on a year-long loan deal. Marseille had the option to sign the 19-year-old permanently if few conditions were met.
Guendouzi recently made his 38th appearance for the Ligue 1 side, completing the main clause of his loan deal, which triggered the option for a permanent transfer. The Frenchman has already put pen to paper on a three-year contract. The Gunners are likely to pocket a €10 million transfer fee from the move.
