Lee Dixon: Arda Guler Would Be a Fantastic Addition at the Emirates

In his exclusive interview with BOYLE Sports , Lee Dixon shares his thoughts on some of the biggest transfer stories surrounding Arsenal and the Premier League heading into the summer window.

The former Arsenal right-back gives his verdict on Arda Guler , Marcus Rashford , and Anthony Gordon , as well as weighing in on whether Erling Haaland belongs at Barcelona and what Bernardo Silva 's next move might be.

Dixon also touches on Dejan Kulusevski and Archie Gray from Spurs , discussing which of their rivals' players he'd most like to see arrive at the Emirates .

Shock Arsenal Transfers

Marcus Rashford

Being a former Manchester United player, Marcus Rashford to Arsenal doesn't sit well with me because I don't really like United . But as a player, I've always been a big fan of his.Obviously, he dropped off his levels. What happened at the end of his United career was unfortunate. It didn't end particularly well. He flitted in and out of the Barcelona set-up.

He's a player on his day that is absolutely an Arsenal player; inasmuch as he's got pace, he's direct. However, I'm not sure you can trust him, so I think Arsenal could do better.

Anthony Gordon

I'm a big fan of Anthony Gordon . The reason I like wingers is because when I see something that I didn't like as a full-back, that tells me he causes problems for full-backs. What we, as full-backs, don't like is players getting the ball quickly to feet and then starting to run at you really fast because it doesn't give you enough time to assess the situation and the space around him.

It's all about distances and space being a full-back, and being good at closing that down and knowing when to close that down. Because he gets the ball so quickly at his feet and then starts running, you haven't got time to set yourself. So, he's immediately in control of the ball and the situation, and you're playing catch-up. And if you're playing catch-up against a really good winger like him who's got pace, he will beat you more times than you want him to. So, I think that's his biggest strength. And I think he certainly ticks a winger box for me. So yeah, I'm a big fan.

Would Gordon Pick Bayern over Arsenal?

Would Anthony Gordon pick Bayern over Arsenal ? That will basically boil down to a couple of things. It'll boil down to where he can get the most money. That's just how it is. But if it's similar, the wages and the package and everything, it'll depend on his ambition. You know, he's still a relatively young guy. Does he want to carry on in the Premier League ? Does he want to go, 'I'll take three years in Germany, and then I'll come back after that?' I mean, not many players turn down Bayern Munich if they come in for you.

If they're knocking on his door, then it would be a big decision for him to make. He's seen Harry Kane and others go over and do amazing things. I think there's certainly a history that he can look at and say, 'What does English players going into the Bundesliga look like? Does that fit me?' It depends on his family, what their situation is, and how he sees that. I don't know what his family situation is, but there will be loads of factors. From a pure footballing point of view, it will be whether he fancies a little change in scenery with the Bundesliga .

Spurs Exodus

Guler To Arsenal?

I've watched Arda Guler quite a lot, and he's absolutely somebody you would pay the ticket price to see because he's super exciting and has a huge amount of ability. I think these days we're missing some of those players of yesteryear, the Zolas , the Bergkamp’s , the Thierry Henrys , the kind of flair players that light a game up. The modern game is very much formulaic, team-oriented, and focused on athletes. So, when these players pop up, it's refreshing. Guler is certainly one who can light a game up, so I want Arsenal to be involved in all the negotiations for all the flair players.

That's what I want to see. Arsenal ... we've been accused of lacking that this year. Sometimes you watch them, and you think, as good as players like Declan Rice or Zubimendi are, if Odegaard doesn't play, where is our creativity in that department? So, yes, I'd be a big fan of him being brought to Arsenal . He would be a fantastic addition.

Crossing The North London Divide

I think Dejan Kulusevski is a good player. But do Arsenal need somebody like him? We have wide players who can play a little bit. Out of all Spurs players, I'd take Archie Gray at Arsenal ; he's a really good young player. We could nick him off them, but I doubt it's possible.

On the flip side, why would Arsenal offer a Spurs player a place at their club, given their season?

Man City

Bernardo Silva

I don't think so. For Bernardo Silva to leave Man City with the amount of trophies he's won, the level of success, and the longevity he's been there, he's a Man City through-and-through legend. Why would he want to leave them and go play for another Premier League team for a year or two just to carry on playing in the Premier League ? I think he's not going to go anywhere and be more successful than he was at City .I think his future is set elsewhere, whether he goes to America or the Middle East . I don't think he'll go to another Premier League club.

I'd love to see him stay because I'm one of his biggest fans. I think he's been Pep 's most loyal servant, played more times than anyone else for Pep , and he's a brilliant all-around footballer. His diving header against Arsenal in the last five minutes of the game, coming from being the deepest defender, just sums him up. He's like three foot six, and he's getting the ball out of the box. He's a brilliant footballer, but I don't see him continuing in the Premier League .

Could Haaland Replace Lewandowski?

If you don't consider it when Barcelona come in for you, then you're mad. That doesn't happen very often. Erling Haaland has knocked nearly every record down in the books. Obviously, Alan Shearer is out there. He'd certainly be looking at that. I mean, he's an incredible athlete. He has the potential to score thousands of goals. It's there every week. He gets, you know, he turns a quiet game into an absolute stroll in the park and gets three goals. He's not a player that, you know, you might look at the way Barcelona play and say, 'Does it fit him?'

It doesn't matter with him because he's basically a pure goal scorer. He goes 60, 70, 80 minutes without having a kick and then gets two goals at the end of a game and wins it for you. From Barcelona 's point of view, if they came knocking again, he would have those same things that Anthony Gordon might have in the summer about where he wants to see his challenge next. It might be a little bit too early for him. He might think, 'I want three or four more years at City to win a couple of doubles and a treble,' because they're on the peak again, they're on the way to getting a really good side again. But, yeah, Barcelona is a hard one to turn down.

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