Former Liverpool star John Arne Riise is crossing his fingers that compatriot Sverre Nypan snubs Arsenal. The 18-year-old, said to be carrying a price tag of about £10million, has been widely reported as a potential recruit for the Gunners this year. He's set to stay in his native Norway with Rosenborg until the summer. With Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all mentioned in connection with him, Nypan's valuation might climb in the coming months. But Arsenal chiefs appear to be at the front of the queue for his signature.

Riise, who donned the Norwegian colours 110 times, is holding out hope that he'll snub Mikel Arteta, though, in favour of working with Arne Slot. He spoke glowingly of the teenager, highlighting his best attributes. He told football.london: "It's a hard one, because he's a very great talent, great player, technically very good box-to-box player. Obviously, with every big talent, especially the ones you want, should come to Liverpool.

"I think he could be really, really good. You can compare a lot to Martin Odegaard when he was young, from Norway to Madrid and all that kind of stuff. We'll see what he does. "He has a dad around him and agents around him who take control, but obviously, the biggest players, the best players, the youngest talents, we want at Liverpool for sure.". These words from Riise will certainly pique the interest of Arsenal fans as they hope to snare a prospect described as the 'next Odegaard' under the noses of their rivals. Nypan has picked up four international caps already, having burst onto the scene as the Norwegian top flight's youngest-ever scorer at 16 years and 145 days.

He initially joined Rosenberg back in 2022 at just 15. Skilled not only in midfield, he's also featured in more attacking positions including up front. Discussions are reported to have taken place between his representatives and Arsenal, with Nypan being spotted in London recently. Arteta has a penchant for pursuing young players with immense potential, and he fits the bill perfectly for his recruitment strategy. He isn't just about playmaking, offering a goal threat too with eight goals and seven assists in 28 outings across all competitions in 2024.

With the Norwegian starlet tipped for a summer switch, he'd be expected to ease into his new squad rather than dive straight into the fray. This means Arteta's likely to shift focus to bolstering Arsenal's attack soon, given the squad's current shortage upfront. The Gunners haven't brought in fresh legs during the January window despite Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus being sidelined with injuries. Ahead of their 2-1 Champions League triumph at Girona, Arteta admitted that a new striker would be a major boost.

"Well, there are situations open and I always say the same. If we can improve the squad with players that can impact us for now, for the future, we will try to do that if it is the best thing for the club - and I stand on that.". John Arne Riise was speaking on behalf of bet365, Official Global Partner of the UEFA Champions League. To celebrate the partnership, bet365 is giving away free tickets to the knockout phases as part of The Big UEFA Champions League ticket giveaway. Visit www.bet365.com for more information.

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