Izuchukwu OkosiArsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes the Gunners should be in the conversation for big transfer talks involving players like Kylian Mbappe in the summer.
Arteta was asked series of questions at his press conference in Friday ahead of Saturday’s Premier League game against Burnley.
The former Arsenal captain cum head coach also spoke on his players’ availability for the game against Vincent Kompany-coached Burnley side.
“When there is a player of that calibre we always have to be in the conversation. But as you said it looks in a different way [that Mbappé is joining Madrid].”
Pushed to elaborate on whether Arsenal could negotiate for the superstar who will be free this summer, the Spaniard said:
“I am not in the conversation. Maybe Edu [the technical director] and the owners are, but I am not in those conversations until the last stage.
“Why not? If we want to be the best team, we are going to need the best talent and the best players, that is for sure.”
Speaking on the fitness of his players like Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Pablo Vieira and Thomas Partey, the former assistant manager at Manchester City gave a hint that all his players could be for to face the Clarets.
“Some of them have been progressing better than others. We have a training session again today, some of them have done a few bits this week and I’m positive that hopefully we’re going to get a few back for tomorrow.
On if any of the players are ruled out for Saturday, Arteta responded: “At the moment, no.”
The Burnley versus Arsenal game will kick off at 4pm Nigerian time.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
