Arsenal are one of a number of clubs feeling the pressure of yet another billionaire-backed Premier League side after Newcastle’s recent takeover. The Saudi-led consortium bought a controlling share of the Tyneside team from Mike Ashley to turn the Magpies into one of Europe's richest footballing forces.
The 20th of October marked their first major step along their journey to return Newcastle to title challengers and away from relegation battlers. Steve Bruce left the club by mutual consent and provided a hard-hitting message upon his departure.
“By the time I got to Newcastle, I thought I could handle everything thrown at me but it has been very, very tough. To never really be wanted, to feel that people wanted me to fail, to read people constantly saying I would fail, that I was useless, a fat waste of space, a stupid, tactically inept cabbage head or whatever. And it was from day one,” explained Bruce.
With Newcastle making big moves so early, for a club like Arsenal they will need to act quickly to ensure their top transfer targets are secured. With Newcastle on the rise and the Gunners anything but at present, competing with Newcastle for players may become increasingly difficult.
It is therefore imperative that they win the early battles and not lose out on upgrades to their squad.
One player already in the sights of the Saudi-led side is Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Everton. The England international is credited with interest from Newcastle by The Telegraph who also claim Arsenal hold a keenness in the 24-year-old too.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang now 32 and with one year left on his deal and Alexandre Lacazette set to leave the club in the summer a striker is high on the Arsenal agenda.
Calvert-Lewin falls into the bracket of young homegrown talent the club has begun to fill the side with. Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe, Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale in addition to further youth talents knocking on the senior door, are the jewels in the crown at the moment.
With the Everton striker clearly of interest to both clubs, Arsenal must avoid losing their first battle with Newcastle and do everything in their power to maintain their status above their northeast opponents.
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