German football journalist Raphael Honigstein has suggested that Arsenal could retain their long-term interest in Emil Forsberg during this summer’s transfer window. The Sweden international has missed a number of games with RB Leipzig through injury this season, and this has capped off a disappointing campaign for the 26-year-old.
Despite this, Honigstein believes the Gunners could revive their pursuit for the Swede in the summer after having failed with an approach for his signature nine months ago, he said:"Emil Forsberg has been in and out of the (RB Leipzig) team with injuries, and they've really missed him a lot. He is still a guy who really wants to go to the Premier League. He was very upset when Arsenal's offer was turned down straight away by Leipzig. I think (Arsenal) will come back in for him because he has got a lot of talent."
During that period, the Gunners were uncertain over the futures of both Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, who had entered the final year of their respective contracts. The north London club, however, managed to commit Ozil to a fresh three-year deal whilst also making the best use of Sanchez who was swappedwith Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan in January.
Forsberg normally plays his trade in the number 10 position, where the Gunners have the likes of Ozil, Mkhitaryan, and Jack Wilshere to depend upon, and this could presumably end any further interest, unless Arsene Wenger is looking for further competition in the ranks. Nevertheless, Forsberg’s form has been a concern with just one goal and two assists in the German top-flight this term.
This statistic is a far cry from the previous season, where he was one of Bundesliga’s prime performers with eight goals and 19 assists. This helped Leipzig finish runners-up to Bayern Munich during their first-ever season in the top-tier of German football.