Mikel Arteta makes ruthless Arsenal selection admission as club confident of deal

Arsenal are back in action on Saturday when they take on London rivals West Ham. The Gunners have won back-to-back games across the Premier League and Champions League but know they must be ultra consistent if they want to catch Liverpool at the top.

Mikel Arteta’s men are currently nine points behind, but they are not going to eat up that gap all at once. A win over West Ham will be seen as a must, especially with Liverpool facing Manchester City, but in the meantime, we have rounded up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the Gunners.

Arteta on Sterling

Arteta has explained the situation surrounding Raheem Sterling, with the winger left on the bench again for the Champions League clash during the week. Asked how Sterling reacted, Arteta said: “He had a smile on his face, fortunately for me. Things happen in football, unfortunately it happened to him and he reacted the best possible way, which is understanding. He’s been a long time in the game and he knows that this is something I cannot control.”

Asked about the winger’s role going forward, Arteta added: “That’s the intention. That’s why I put him on against Forest, that’s why I wanted to put him on against Sporting, now getting into that rhythm because he can really impact the team as well.”

Jesus latest

Brazilian club Palmeiras are still dreaming of taking Gabriel Jesus back to his home country, but they know a deal is not likely to come in the immediate future.

According to UOL, club sources believe it will be possible to convince Jesus to return home, but they are also aware that the striker’s next move will likely be within Europe due to the fact there is still a market for him. Jesus has struggled to impress at Arsenal this season and it has been suggested that he could be moved on next summer, but there are no current plans for a sale.