Arsenal have held initial talks with representatives of a budding midfielder following his rapid rise, according to a new report.
Arsenal look to bounce back against bottom-of-the-table Wolves
Arsenal return to Premier League action on Saturday night against bottom-of-the-table Wolves at the Emirates Stadium in a classic David v Goliath encounter.
The Gunners saw their advantage at the top reduced to just two points following last weekend’s heartbreaking 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, where Emi Buendia’s late goal ended their 18-match unbeaten run.
Man City’s victory over Sunderland has increased the pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side, although Saturday’s late kick-off offers the opportunity to extend the gap to five points before City face Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Arsenal responded impressively to that Villa disappointment with a 3-0 Champions League triumph at Club Brugge on Wednesday evening.
Noni Madueke produced a sensational performance, scoring twice, including a stunning 25-yard strike, while Gabriel Martinelli added another beauty to maintain his perfect European record.
Arteta says ‘really special’ Arsenal star has been so good in training lately
The Spaniard is delighted with him.
The victory all but assured automatic qualification for the round of 16 as the top seed, but the Wolves present an entirely different challenge.
Arriving in north London still looking for their first win of the campaign, Rob Edwards’ side remain rooted to the foot of the table with just two points from 15 games, an alarming 13 points from safety.
Their 4-1 home humiliation against Man United on Monday night extended Wolves’ losing streak to eight consecutive defeats, equaling their worst run in Premier League history.
Only QPR in 2012/13 and Sheffield United in 2020/21 have had a longer winless start to a season than Wolves’ current nightmare.
Their two points also represent a joint low after 15 games in top-flight history, underscoring the severity of their disastrous start.
Arsenal have an intimidating record against Wolves, winning eight straight meetings with an aggregate score of 17-3. The north Londoners have remarkably not failed to score against them since February 1979, a remarkable run of 35 matches, so Edwards’ men are certainly the underdogs heading into this one.
Off the pitch, sporting director Andrea Berta continues his mission of identifying the best talent for Arteta.
Reports this week suggest Arsenal have held talks with Yan Diomande’s entourage ahead of a potential move for the teenage winger from RB Leipzig, and now the same can be said of Polish sensation Oskar Pietuszewski.
Arsenal hold talks with Oskar Pietuszewski camp
That’s according to TEAMtalk, who report that Arsenal have held discussions with Pietuszewski’s representatives, even as City threaten to divert their pursuit of the 17-year-old starlet.
Berta has sent senior Arsenal scouts to Poland on several occasions to watch Jagiellonia Białystok’s talent in action this season, alongside Chelsea and City, with all three Premier League giants “extremely impressed” by the teenager’s performances.
Arsenal have entered into preliminary discussions with Pietuszewski’s camp to assess whether to launch a formal bid for one of Poland’s “most complete teenage talents in years”.
However, City have stepped up their interest by sending their emerging talent manager to Poland and holding their own talks with Pietuszewski.
Their aggressive approach appears to have positioned them ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea in the three-way battle, but that doesn’t mean Berta should give up.
Pietuszewski has dazzled in the Polish top flight this season, scoring three goals and two assists in 16 appearances, and according to Transfermarkt he is now Ekstraklasa’s “most valuable player” in terms of transfer value.
Primarily deployed as a left winger, the versatile youngster can operate as a midfielder or anywhere on the forward line.
Arsenal have been told they must pay a minimum of £13m to secure Pietuszewski’s signature, a figure which could rise with performance bonuses and break Jagiellonia’s outgoing transfer record.
Born in Białystok, Pietuszewski came through the ranks at the Jagiellonia academy before joining the senior team last season.
His international breakthrough came with four goals in six caps for the Polish under-21 team, underlining his rapid rise.
Although he is open to a move to the Premier League, Pietuszewski wants first-team minutes. European rivals like Ajax, PSV, Lille, Bologna and Barcelona have also spotted him, so the player could have a long list of suitors knocking on the door very soon.
