Arsenal urged to avoid Ousmane Dembele by Emmanuel Petit as the PSG star is ‘not scoring goals’, but names the star striker the Gunners should ‘go for’ in January

• Ex-Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit urges the club not to sign Ousmane Dembele
• As the PSG star is ‘not scoring goals’, Petit names another man for the Gunners 
• Kai Havertz is a broken man at Arsenal: Listen to the debate on It’s All Kicking Off

Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit has urged the Gunners to swerve Ousmane Dembele in January as the club look to improve their attacking options.

As Mikel Arteta’s current crop of Gunners look to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League this season, there have been rumours swirling about potential new players.

But Petit, who joined Arsenal from Monaco in 1997, has said PSG’s Dembele would be a poor fit for the North London side, while suggesting another star striker who would be a good signing in January.

Petit told OLBG: ‘Ousmane Dembele is struggling as he’s under massive pressure at PSG. He wastes chances on many occasions and he’s not scoring goals. It’s been a difficult start for him, so I can’t say Dembele for Arsenal. 

‘I’m a huge fan of Ivan Toney. He’s done a great job with Brentford ever since they came up from the Championship, and I’m not surprised that they’re struggling without him, even if they beat Chelsea at the weekend.

Arsenal have been urged to avoid signing PSG’s out-of-form striker Ousmane Dembele

Emmanuel Petit said Arsenal should ‘go for’ Brentford’s Ivan Toney if they have a chance 

Petit, who played for Arsenal between 1997 and 2000, said Toney would be ‘a great bargain’

‘Brentford are not the same team without Toney and the package he brings – his goals, mentality, and behavior. Whoever gets Toney in January, if he does leave, will be getting a great bargain. If Arsenal have a chance to sign him, they should go for him.’

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has declared he wants Toney to stay at the Bees ‘forever’, amidst a potential battle for his signature from Arsenal and Chelsea, another one of Petit’s former teams.  

Petit won the Premier League with the Gunners in his first season in 1998, playing 118 games for the club before leaving for Barcelona in 2000. The following year he came back to London to join Chelsea, where he remained until 2004. 

Dembele, 26, is another former Barcelona player, who left to join PSG in the summer for €50.4m (£43.7m), but has failed to score for his new side. Despite being contracted to the French giants until 2028, it has led some to speculate that he might leave Paris far sooner than that. 

Petit, 53, also believes that top Wolves talent Pedro Neto might not be a necessary improvement for Arsenal – although they should be gutted at missing out on a couple of available names in the summer. 

Petit said: ‘Pedro Neto is a young prospect. He’s not scoring many goals, but he’s delivered seven assists this season. Neto has played 100 games for Wolves already, and he’s delivered 17 total assists. He’s an exciting prospect and he’s electric. He’s a good player who is playing for his national team, but I’m not sure if Arsenal need him. 

Petit is ‘not sure’ if Arsenal need Pedro Neto, despite the young talent in the Wolves player

Mikel Arteta’s side need a ‘quality midfielder’, as they struggle with injuries in this campaign

‘I was upset when City signed Jeremy Doku as he could have played for Arsenal. I thought the same thing when Allan Saint-Maximin left Newcastle to go to Saudi Arabia as he would’ve been good for Arsenal, too.

‘At the moment, Arsenal need another midfielder because they’re struggling with injuries. Thomas Partey has been injured for so long since his arrival, Jorginho can’t play every game, and Emile Smith Rowe has just come back. I also think Martin Odegaard is starting to look a bit fatigued. 

‘Arsenal need to have a quality midfielder. I’d love to see a player like Jude Bellingham – someone who creates, builds the game, scores, assists, and everything else in midfield. He’s the signing of my dreams, but Arsenal need someone like him.’

Following their midweek League Cup exit at the hands of West Ham, Arsenal travel to Newcastle United for a league fixture on Saturday evening before hosting Sevilla in the Champions League on Wednesday.  

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