Arsenal have been tipped to launch a move for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, in spite of the Frenchman’s slow start to the new season.
Speaking to Football Insider, former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell has backed the Gunners to make an attempt to sign Odsonne Edouard from Celtic, even though the Frenchman has had a mixed start to the new season.
The 22-year-old Edouard came through the ranks at Paris Saint-Germain, earning the reputation of being a potent goalscorer throughout his youth career. However, it is at Celtic where the forward well and truly broke out into a star in the making.
Having joined the Hoops in 2017, initially on loan, Edouard showed enough to convince the Scottish giants to make his transfer permanent and he hasn’t looked back since. In 139 appearances for Celtic, the Frenchman has racked up an impressive return of 66 goals and 33 assists, helping the team to numerous domestic honours along the way.
Edouard enjoyed his most prolific season last time out, plundering 27 goals and 19 assists from 45 games across all competitions. In the 2020/21 campaign, the 22-year-old has managed six goals and two assists from 13 matches, which has been considered a tad slow start after the standards he set for himself over the past two seasons.
Edouard has been linked with a move to the Premier League in the past, with Arsenal having been credited with serious interest in him this past summer. A move did not materialise, however, as the Gunners were able to tie down captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a new and improved contract.
At the same time, Celtic are trying to get Edouard to sign an extension on his current deal, that expires in 2022. No agreement has been arrived at yet, with the striker keen for the club to insert a release clause in any new deal.
And ex-Arsenal ace Kevin Campbell believes that neither a release clause nor the striker’s mixed start to the season will discourage his suitors, including Arsenal, from making a move.
Shots At Goal This Season
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— Frank Khalid (@FrankKhalidUK) November 11, 2020
“Clubs know what Odsonne Edouard can do. He is just going through a difficult time at the moment. I know his form will pick up and he will get back to best which is leading the line and scoring goals. There was talk of a move to Arsenal, that move may still happen because Edouard is a really talented player,” Campbell told Football Insider.
While Arsenal managed to tie Aubameyang down to a new deal, the Gabonese international has endured a very slow start to the season. In addition, Alexandre Lacazette has continued to look out of sorts leading the line for the Gunners as well, which could force the club to look at bolstering the attack in January or the next summer.
If it so happens, it will be interesting to see whether the Gunners rekindle their interest in Edouard.
