Arsenal boss Arteta keen on "brave" transfer as Mane edges toward Liverpool exit

As reports of Serge Gnabry's potential return to Arsenal continue, old comments from Gunners boss Mikel Arteta show precisely why he may be seeking a reunion at the Emirates.

The Germany international started his senior career in the red half of North London and initially impressed, but ultimately failed to kick on and cement his status as a first-team regular. After mixed spells elsewhere, Gnabry eventually ended up at Bayern Munich where he has enjoyed a trophy-laden spell in Bavaria.

That's not to suggest his time at Arsenal was a failure. The winger's first Premier League start saw him thrown in at the deep end as a late inclusion to the starting eleven after Theo Walcott fell ill shortly before kick-off at home to Stoke City. After one particularly positive display against fierce rivals Tottenham, Arteta, then playing alongside Gnabry, sung his praises to Arsenal's in-house media.

"I think he's got a lot of quality," Arteta said. "He's got something not many players have in this team, which is pace and skill to go and beat people. That's why the manager played him - three up front is something that helps us be more incisive."

The Spaniard continued to wax lyrical, with comments that, these years later, may well identify why Arteta is said to be so keen on the idea of overseeing Gnabry's return.

"We want to go behind [the opponents] and get into one versus one situations. Gnabry is very good like that and I'm very pleased for him because I think he did really well.

"He's like a little boxer, he's a little fighter. He's good. He's got a lot of character as well, the lad doesn't get intimidated either because it's a derby.

"His character is great. You see it in training. Technically, he is very good but he's got something about him as well. He doesn't mind when he gets kicked, he gets up and goes for the next ball. He's quite brave." If you didn't know he was speaking about Gnabry, he could easily be speaking about two current Arsenal attackers: Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

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Gnabry has shone since joining German giants Bayern in 2017, establishing himself as one of the finest wide players on the continent. And, even while playing for Bayern, the 26-year-old managed to put a smile on Arsenal faces back in late 2019. The winger notched four goals in a dominant 7-2 victory over Spurs during the Champions League group stages before taking to social media to declare that North London was red.

Now, fast forward three years and his contract with the Bavarian titans is nearing its end. Gnabry has just one year left on his current Bayern deal and there has been little talk of an extension. Instead, the Gunners could move to bring him back to England - and could be helped by Bayern's interest in Liverpool superstar Sadio Mane.

In the aftermath of the recent Champions League final defeat, the Senegal international spoke as if that may have been his last appearance in a Reds shirt: "I think it's a tricky one the game tonight, we are disappointed - the fans have been amazing, I want to thank them for everything and the boss, I wish this team all the success in the world."

Bayern are positioning themselves to be the club who take Mane away from Anfield, thus making Gnabry - especially with his contract situation - expendable in Germany. That could allow an Arsenal return, and a reunion with Arteta as he looks to continue building on this season's fifth place finish.