Author: Sanctus Odey

Arsenal may come up against a familiar foe in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, as former Gunners striker Robin van Persie is set to be appointed as the new head coach of Feyenoord.

The Gunners enjoyed an impressive league phase in the competition, finishing third with 19 points. Their top-eight placement allowed them to bypass the knockout phase play-off tie, joining Aston Villa, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Inter Milan, Lille, and Liverpool in advancing directly to the round of 16. 

They were later joined by Bayern Munich, Benfica, Club Brugge, and Feyenoord, while Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and PSV Eindhoven secured their spots through the play-offs.

As a seeded team, Arsenal are guaranteed to play the second leg of their round-of-16 tie at home. Their potential opponents include Juventus, PSV Eindhoven, or Feyenoord—setting up the possibility of a reunion with Van Persie at the Emirates Stadium.

Feyenoord earned their spot in the last 16 by defeating AC Milan 2-1 on aggregate. While their domestic form has been underwhelming, currently sitting fourth in the Eredivisie, they have made a strong impression in Europe.

Van Persie, who controversially left Arsenal for Manchester United in 2012, is on the verge of taking over at Feyenoord. The 41-year-old, currently managing Eredivisie side Heerenveen, is expected to finalise his move on Thursday. Feyenoord have been without a permanent manager since Brian Priske was sacked on February 10, with Pascal Bosschaart serving as interim boss.

A potential clash between Arsenal and Feyenoord would see Van Persie return to the Emirates in a managerial role—an event sure to stir emotions among the Arsenal faithful, given the nature of his departure over a decade ago.

Despite ongoing injury concerns, Arsenal will be optimistic about their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals. However, they must remain focused to avoid an upset.

Arsenal would reportedly have to make Alexander Isak the second most expensive footballer ever in order to sign him from Newcastle United this summer.

The Sweden international has been on fire in the Premier League this season, and it’s not too surprising to hear that Newcastle have no intention of letting him go.

It seems Arsenal are eager to do a deal for Isak, but their pursuit has been dealt a significant blow as it seems he’d cost over £160m, according to a report from the Sun.

Isak would be a dream signing for the Gunners, who need a top centre-forward as soon as possible, but it just looks like this raid on Newcastle isn’t at all realistic.

The Magpies have Isak tied down to a contract until 2028,, so they’re under little pressure to ease their huge demands here.

Isak simply doesn’t look affordable for Arsenal, or indeed anyone, so the north London giants will have to consider alternatives.

RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko is another fine talent, and he’s been linked with Arsenal by the Daily Mirror and others in recent times.

At the moment, Isak is probably the better player, but Sesko is younger, so could improve enough to become even better in the next few years.