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Former Aston Villa forward Darren Bent has revealed that he would rather have Romelu Lukaku at Arsenal than the Gunners' primary target this window, Gabriel Jesus. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners are still working on a deal to sign Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City in the summer transfer window.
Lukaku, on the other hand, is edging closer to leaving Chelsea after only joining them last summer for a club-record fee of £97.5 million. According to Sky Sports, Chelsea and Inter Milan have reached an agreement over a loan deal worth £10.3 million (£6.9 million loan fee + £3.4 million bonuses). The Belgian forward had an underwhelming last season, scoring just eight times in the league in 26 games.
Despite not having a great 2021-22 season, Darren Bent still believes Lukaku would be a great addition to the Arsenal squad. The 38-year-old also provides reasons why the Belgian forward is keen on a return to Inter Milan.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Bent was quoted as saying the following:
“I’d take Lukaku at Arsenal 100%. I’d be over the moon if we got Lukaku. I look at Lukaku and I think he wants to go somewhere where he feels most loved. He scored a lot of goals at Inter [in 20-21] and felt real passion from the fans. The fact he is taking a pay cut, it feels like he cannot wait to get out of this country quick enough.”
When asked who he would choose from Romelu Lukaku or Gabriel Jesus to take to the Emirates Stadium, Bent added:
“I’d rather Lukaku. I’ve seen him score goals. He’s in the 100 club.”
Both Lukaku and Jesus had subpar seasons as per their standards, with the latter also likely to leave Manchester City due to the arrivals of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez. The Brazilian also scored the same number of league goals as the Belgian, playing two more games.
Arsenal are yet to sign a new forward ahead of the new season
Arsenal are in need of a new forward ahead of the 2022-23 season. Two of the Gunners' most experienced forwards have left the club over the past two transfer windows.
Former club-captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Barcelona in the January transfer window. The Gunners are set to lose Alexandre Lacazette to Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais on a free transfer later this month.
This lack of a target man has prompted Arsenal to search for a proven goalscorer. It is worth mentioning that Gabriel Jesus is not the only attacker the Gunners have been chasing this summer. Mikel Arteta's side have also been linked with a move for Leeds United star Raphinha.
According to The Athletic, however, Leeds rejected the Gunners' offer for the Brazil international. However, Liverpool have also joined the race to sign the talented winger.
