Arsenal's title chances took a hit on Sunday as they were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa at The Emirates in the Premier League, when they had the chance to move to the top of the division.
They are now two points behind reigning champions Manchester City, with six games left to play, and are now in danger of another season without any silverware to show for their domestic efforts.
Despite there being plenty of football left in both the Premier League and the Champions League, Edu and Mikel Arteta are already looking at transfer targets to bolster the squad.
The upcoming summer transfer window provides them with another opportunity to add more quality to the group, and they reportedly have their eye on a current top-flight star.
Arsenal's interest in Premier League attacking midfielder
According to The Mirror, Arsenal are one of the teams interested in a possible swoop to sign Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The report claims that the Gunners admire the England U21 international and will have to battle it out with Premier League rivals Newcastle United to secure his signature. Eddie Howe's side have made the attacking midfielder, who is said to be valued at £50m, one of their main transfer targets for the summer as they prepare to potentially lose Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes.
The outlet states, however, that Arsenal number ten Emile Smith-Rowe is also on Newcastle's radar, alongside Leicester City's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
This means that the Gunners could, in theory, sell Smith-Rowe to the Magpies in order to clear the path for them to swoop in for Gibbs-White, should they decide that they want to go down that particular route.
Why Arsenal should sign Morgan Gibbs-White
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers starlet has been in impressive form in the Premier League so far this season, despite playing for a Forest team battling against relegation from the division.
He has stood out with his performances in the middle of the park, after a return of five goals and eight assists in 37 league games last season, as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
Appearances
29
32
Sofascore rating
7.63
7.24
Goals
7
5
Assists
6
7
Big chances created
14
12
Key passes per game
2.8
1.9
As you can see in the table above, Gibbs-White has provided more assists than Martin Odegaard in the Premier League this season, although the Norway international has created two more 'big chances'. The Forest star's numbers, in terms of both goals and assists, are not too dissimilar from the Gunners captain's, which speaks to how impressive the Englishman has been.
Gibbs-White, who has been described as "underrated" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could be a fantastic alternative to rotate with the skipper when needed. This could help Arsenal to compete on all fronts next season, in order to have more success in domestic and European competitions, without overplaying Odegaard and causing fatigue towards the end of the campaign.
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Therefore, the Tricky Trees magician could be an exciting addition to Arteta's creative midfield ranks, if the Gunners can get a deal over the line this summer.
