Belgian forward Lois Openda has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Aston Villa interested.
A report from Fichajes claims that Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Arsenal are keen on signing 23-year-old striker Lois Openda from Ligue 1 club RC Lens at the end of the season.
The talented young Belgian joined Lens from Club Brugge during the summer transfer window. And he has made an immediate impact in French football scoring 17 goals in Ligue 1 this season. It is no surprise that his performances have convinced the top European clubs to make a move for him this summer.
Arsenal will need to bring in another proven striker apart from Gabriel Jesus. Openda could thus prove to be a quality long-term acquisition for them. The Brazilian striker was sidelined with an injury for a few weeks this season and Arsenal struggled without him.
While Mikel Arteta has players like Eddie Nketiah at his disposal, a club hoping to win the league title and compete in the Champions League regularly should have better options. Strikers like Vitor Roque have thus emerged on Arsenal’s radar. And Openda is also a viable target.
Arsenal have a quality young striker on their books in Folarin Balogun. The talented youngster is currently on loan at Ligue 1 club Reims, and he has 19 goals across all competitions. However, he is expected to leave the club permanently in the summer in search of regular playing time.
Balogun could have been the ideal alternative to Jesus next season. But his potential departure has now forced Arsenal to dip into the transfer market for another striker. Openda is a player with tremendous potential, and he could develop into a key player for the Gunners in the coming seasons. It remains to be seen whether the Ligue 1 club prepared to sell him after just one season.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa will have to replace Danny Ings, who left the club midway through the campaign. Unai Emery cannot expect Ollie Watkins to bail the West Midlands club out every week. Watkins has been unplayable since the arrival of Emery. But he will need more support from his teammates.
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Furthermore, Aston Villa are pushing for European qualification. Emery will thus have to rotate his squad to keep the players fresh when they are competing in multiple tournaments. Villa must look to bring in another reliable goalscorer and Openda certainly fits the profile.
