Arsenal news: Mikel Arteta discovers £52m transfer cost as dropped star offers Fulham boost

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side sit atop the Premier League as they prepare to face Fulham after stars return from the international break

Arsenal will have the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League as their visit to Fulham nears. A single point currently separates the Gunners and second-place Liverpool.

Mikel Arteta’s side have mustered an impressive 16 points from seven games to begin this top-flight campaign but face a stern task when they take a trip to Craven Cottage on Saturday evening.

Title rivals Liverpool face Manchester United on Sunday so Arsenal could extend their lead at the top with victory over Marco Silva’s men. The Gunners boast the best defence in the league, having conceded just three goals all season, but reports suggest Arteta could be eyeing a £52million Germany star to add depth at the back.

Mirror Football brings you all the latest news from the Emirates, including an international break boost and an Arsenal icon’s Premier League title prediction.

Arsenal interested in Nathaniel Brown

The Gunners’ backline is officially the best in the top flight but that hasn’t stopped them from being linked with a prodigious young left-back.

READ MORE: Martin Odegaard targeting Arsenal injury return in time for THREE huge gamesREAD MORE: Ex-Premier League star has ‘no regrets at all’ about rejecting Arsenal transfer

At present, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori mainly play the position and both Jurrien Timber and Piero Hincapie can fill in. But according to German outlet BILD, Arsenal are interested in 22-year-old Nathaniel Brown.

Brown currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt and has been somewhat of a revelation this term. Born to an American father and a German mother, he received his first senior Germany call-up this month and made his debut against Luxembourg last week.

He has been impressing for Frankfurt and it is reported that he could cost upwards of £52m. Both Real Madrid and Manchester City are also supposedly keen on securing his services.

Mikel Arteta handed fitness boost

Arsenal boss Arteta saw both Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes join up with Brazil last week and he would have been pleased to see the latter dropped for their clash against Japan on Tuesday afternoon.

Having played 90 minutes during a 5-0 victory against South Korea last Friday, Gabriel rode the bench as Brazil lost 3-2 to Japan. Martinelli starred as his national side let a 2-0 lead slip and his club team-mate was rested completely.

Arteta’s side are just days away from a crucial match against Fulham and the Spanish boss will probably be grateful Carlo Ancelotti dropped the 27-year-old.

The north London side have suffered from a string of first-team injuries, with captain Martin Odegaard the latest to be sidelined. It is expected that he will be out until mid-November and so the fitness of a star like Gabriel is paramount.

Patrick Vieira delivers title verdict

Club legend Patrick Vieira won three Premier League titles during his time with Arsenal. His former club are well in the title race this year and the Frenchman thinks they have the quality to claim the crown.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Arsenal legend admitted: “I don’t know if it’s a good year or not because the Premier League is really competitive.

“But I think Arteta made a really strong statement by bringing those players in in the summer. On the field, so far, they’re doing really good games.

“I believe that Arsenal is a part of those few teams that can win the Premier League. I think you will have to count on Arsenal to be competitive and to be there to fight until the end because the players they managed to bring in will put the quality of the team on a different level.”

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