A momentous week for Arsenal has the potential to get a lot better as the newly crowned Premier League champions get ready for their European date against PSG
Mikel Arteta faces arguably the most pivotal week of his managerial career to date as he pursues a double helping of Arsenal silverware this season. The Spaniard has already secured a historic Premier League title and now seeks to overcome Paris Saint-Germain for the Champions League trophy.
The Gunners won’t shift their focus entirely towards the summer transfer window until Saturday’s showdown in Budapest reaches its conclusion. Nevertheless, a pair of updates suggest Arsenal’s prospects have improved substantially ahead of the most significant match of their campaign.
There are also movements on the transfer front after one reported target revealed he’s already been in communication with individuals at the club. And football.london examines the latest developments from around the Emirates Stadium in greater detail as the club stands on the brink of even more glory.
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PSG sweating on two talismans
In a development likely to be welcomed at the Emirates, both Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi appear to be doubts ahead of Saturday’s final. With fewer than six days remaining before the two sides meet at the Puskas Arena, Luis Enrique is still awaiting news on both players.
Hakimi, 27, has been sidelined since sustaining a hamstring tear during PSG’s semi-final first-leg encounter with Bayern Munich. He missed the second leg of that clash and now faces a race against time to feature at all in the showdown with Arsenal.
Dembele, meanwhile, continues to manage a calf problem picked up during the recent derby against Paris FC. He raised alarm bells among PSG supporters after being withdrawn early in that match, although his injury is thought to be the less serious of the two.
L’Équipe has reported there are genuine concerns Hakimi will not be fit to start against Arsenal. The uncertainty surrounding Dembele is considered less acute, though that could change should he remain absent from training as the week progresses.
For his part, the current Ballon d’Or-holder moved to play down concerns over his condition in recent days. PSG fans will arguably be most eager to see the Frenchman involved against the Gunners above anyone else.
“I’m doing very well. I had a slight scare against Paris FC, but I’m fine and I’ll be ready for the final,” he recently told RMC Sport. “Will I be 100% for the final? Yes, yes, I think so, yes, I’ll be ready. I have no doubt about it, I hope to be on the pitch on May 30.”
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Kroupi’s Arsenal contact
Having already delivered the league title to north London, Eli Junior Kroupi is one name being discussed widely across the capital at present. And Arsenal fans will be delighted to discover some at the Emirates have already made contact with the forward.
This remains strictly in an unofficial capacity given it’s not the club’s board who are communicating with the teenager. Rather, it’s members of Arteta’s own squad who have reached out to express gratitude to the Frenchman for his title-clinching exploits.
It was Kroupi’s staggering finish against Manchester City last week that helped secure Arsenal’s title triumph. Consequently, speculation linking the Gunners with the reported £80million-rated 19-year-old has only intensified in recent days.
When asked whether any Arsenal players had been in touch to congratulate him on his City strike, Kroupi told Stadium Astro: “Yes I have received many messages but I tell myself that I didn’t do this for Arsenal.
“I do this for Bournemouth. I can say I scored against Arsenal, I scored against City. It doesn’t change anything, I just wanted to help my team.”
That response merely serves to highlight the exceptional maturity the player demonstrates. It’s hardly surprising the Frenchman, who arrived at the Cherries from Lorient last summer for a modest £10million fee, has made such a remarkable impact in the Premier League this season.
However, it may require more than financial incentives to prise him away from the Vitality Stadium this summer. Kroupi seemed delighted at the possibility of spearheading Bournemouth’s European campaign next term when questioned about his next objective: “Perform with my team and perform also in Europe also because it is very beautiful to be in Europe but you have to perform to play there.”
