Arsenal star causes training stir as Berta forced to act on new deal | Football | Sport
Arsenal are set to face Fulham on Saturday evening, with a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League. With second-placed Liverpool only playing Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, the Gunners have the chance to put pressure on the reigning champions with a victory at Craven Cottage.
Mikel Arteta will eagerly welcome his Arsenal international stars back after a successful October break. Although club captain Martin Odegaard is expected to be out for some time with a knee injury, Declan Rice and Piero Hincapie look set for Saturday’s clash. The north London side face a busy schedule, juggling Premier League, Champions League and domestic cup matches. However, Arteta’s side looks robust enough to cope with this wave of back-to-back games. Here, Express football provides some of the latest news coming from the Emirates Stadium this week.
Jurrien Timber contract negotiations underway
Jurrien Timber’s impressive performances have forced Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta to sit up and take notice, especially as they have also caught the eye of Bayern Munich. Reports suggest that the Bundesliga titans have contacted Timber’s representatives to gauge their interest in a possible move to Germany.
However, the Evening Standard reported that the Gunners are now engaged in talks to secure a new contract for the defender in a bid to ward off any potential suitors. Following his arrival at Arsenal and subsequent ACL injury, Timber bounced back from a season-long absence with renewed confidence in his abilities.
Speaking positively about the Netherlands international ahead of the international break, Arteta said: “The way he comes back and what he does for the team is phenomenal.
“I think he’s a very good example of another one who will hopefully have a long career with us. I like him a lot. When you talk about a total player, he has almost all the qualities you would expect from a defender.”
With Timber’s current contract running until 2028, the north London club are keen to secure him an extended contract to avoid any possibility of leaving the Emirates Stadium.
Dowman impresses in training
Max Dowman first caught the attention of the Premier League when he made his debut against Leeds United in August. He won a penalty in the 93rd minute and became the second youngest player in the top flight’s history at just 15 years old, behind teammate Ethan Nwaneri.
He is now drawing comparisons to Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal. Cristhian Mosquera has praised Arsenal’s young talent, telling The Athletic that Dowman will be “world class”.
Mosquera said: “I don’t want to compare, but his style and way of playing is like Lamine Yamal. His movements are Lamine’s.
“I didn’t have him on my radar and when I arrived in Singapore, he was already training and playing. When they told me he was 15, I couldn’t believe it. He’s truly an incredible player, and I think he’s going to be world class.”
Arteta also praised Dowman, applauding his ability to handle the physicality of the Premier League with maturity. Asked how first-team executives reacted to the 15-year-old in training, the Arsenal boss replied: “At first they responded immediately, kick him! That was the first.
“And Max, to be honest, he’s been excellent. He got up and went into the next one. You can really get a feeling of someone who was 14 last year at one point when he was doing certain things to the players. And now, yeah, everyone loves him. You just want to hug him, help him. He’s a very nice boy too, and he’s very well-liked by everyone here. And he just takes care of us.
“With that comes the responsibility of looking after someone with that talent and making sure we do what we need to do to make sure we give him the best chance to exploit his talent. That’s it.”