Arsenal target scores sublime solo goal as Gunners step up interest in in-demand youngster

BREDA - Mika Godts of AFC Ajax celebrates scoring the 0-2 during the Dutch Eredivisie match between NAC Breda and AFC Ajax at the Rat Verlegh Stadium on April 25, 2026, in Breda, the Netherlands. OLAF KRAAK / ANP (Photo by ANP via Getty Images)
Arsenal have been monitoing the 20-year-old forward (Image credit: Getty Images)

While Arsenal’s current focus is on the Premier League title race, scouting missions and planning for the next transfer window are constantly happening behind the scenes.

Over the past five seasons, Mikel Arteta’s side have got to the point of being perennial Premier League and Champions League contenders by being smart with their talent-spotting and recruitment.

Arsenal target scores stunner

Players of Arsenal huddle prior to the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal at Amex Stadium on March 04, 2026 in Brighton, England.

Arsenal have been monitoring the Belgian international (Image credit: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal have been closely monitoring the progress of Ajax forward Mika Godts in recent months and Gunners scouts will have loved what they saw from the 20-year-old on Saturday evening.

The two-time Belgian international has been a regular in the Ajax side for the past two seasons and showed why with a blockbuster performance away to NAC Breda.

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After assisting his side’s opening goal, Godts took up the ball inside his own half and moved through the gears and making a mockery of the three defenders who attempted to stop him before rounding the goalkeeper to double his side’s advantage.

The goal will certainly be a Puskas Award contender come the end of the year, but it underlined why Arsenal are one of several big-name European sides to be linked with the youngster.

According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal scouts were in attendance for the goal, as were representatives from Chelsea, with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Newcastle United also long-term admirers of the Leuven-born forward.

Godts joined Ajax as an 18-year-old from Genk in January 2023 for a reported €1 million and he would make his Eredivisie debut at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

He saw his playing time increase over the following campaign before becoming a first-team regular under boss Francesco Farioli last season, with his performances either on the left wing or through the middle drawing Eden Hazard comparisons.

With 16 goals and 11 assists in his 29 appearances so far this term, it is clear that Godts - who is valued at €25 million by Transfermarkt and has three years left on his current deal - is going to be a name that features heavily in this summer’s transfer chatter.

As well as admirers in England, the likes of Barcelona, RB Leipzig and Atletico Madrid have all been linked with the Godts.

In FourFourTwo’s view, there’s a lot to like about Godts, who has a decent amount of football under his belt at a young age and could be a tantalising option for Arsenal as they look to add another option on the left-hand side.

Joe Mewis

For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

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