Arsenal 'want' £58.5m Liverpool target as Paul Merson makes recruitment claim

Arsenal are now just hours away from returning to action, facing Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup. The Gunners are likely to rest a number of key stars for this one having just come off the back of a bruising clash with Manchester City last time out.

Mikel Arteta will want a run in the Carabao Cup, but he must balance those desires with the ultimate priority - the Premier League title. In the meantime, we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal ‘want’ Liverpool target

Arsenal are said to be interested in a deal for Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Larsson, who is also being linked with a move to Liverpool. According to Caughtoffside, with Fabrizio Romano also claiming that ‘several clubs are monitoring his development’.

Larsson is a versatile midfielder who can play either the defensive or attacking role in the middle. Frankfurt as said to be asking for £58.5m ahead of next summer, with the possibility of tacking on £10million more by the time next summer rolls around. They signed him for around £7.5million in July of last year.

Merson on recruitment

Arsenal legend Paul Merson has been praising his old club’s current recruitment strategy after a solid start to the season for the Gunners. He wrote on Sky Sports: “Arsenal do their homework now,” wrote Merson. “A lot of clubs don’t get their recruitment right but Arsenal are getting theirs right all the time.

“Edu is the equivalent to David Dein now at the club. When Arsene Wenger had Dein by his side, the quality of player they had coming in was frightening. You can reel the names off for fun and it’s the same at the club now with Edu. There just seems to be a togetherness with Edu and Arteta that is working for the club. They’re singing off the same hymn sheet and that is helped by their Premier League experience.

“They know what they are looking for in a player to come in and play in the Premier League because it’s a hard league, a relentless league Every game is a hard game and there are no gimmes. So, week in, week out, you have to have something about you as a player and Edu, who needs to take a lot of credit, and Arteta know that.”