Newcastle United star admits he wants £27m Arsenal fighter 'on same team' - and it's not Aaron Ramsdale

Newcastle United star Callum Wilson has spoken about his biggest enemy in the Premier League but admitted he'd love to play on the same team as the Arsenal star.

The Magpies have been linked with a move for out-of-favour Gunners shot-stopper Aaron Ramsdale in recent days following a serious injury to first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope but it's one of Mikel Arteta's centre-backs that Wilson would love to have in black and white.

Speaking on the BBC Sounds' Footballer's Football Podcast, Wilson and West Ham United co-host Michail Antonio were quizzed about the top-flight players who get under their skin the most. The Hammers man chose former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi while Wilson chose Gabriel.

He said: "Mine is Gabriel from Arsenal. He's a good player and, off the field, he's probably a nice guy, similar to how I am and we'd probably get along. On the pitch, it's war, he wants to fight me and I want to fight him.

"We had a game against Arsenal recently, he was kicking me, I was clotheslining him, nudging him, elbowing him, standing on his foot, I fell over and just grabbed him for no reason and just pulled him down with me. He was like, 'What are you doing?'. I told him to shut up."

Newcastle and Arsenal met at St James' Park in early November this season in a match that was famously marked by VAR controversy over Anthony Gordon's goal in the 1-0 win. The two clubs have enjoyed feisty encounters in recent seasons, especially a 2-0 Magpies win at St James' Park at crunch time of the campaign in May 2022.

Wilson continued: "It started from the last game before the one this season, we must've had that little bit on the pitch and you shake hands afterwards and get on with it. In the tunnel for the game this season, he was so funny because he was smiling at the Brazilians and stuff, laughing and I'm standing there angry already. He's smiling, looks at me and then just thinks, 'Oh no, I smiled at the wrong person'. He looked at me like, 'Oh, not you again'.

"We got on the pitch and we started. I actually asked Ramsdale about him and what he's like and he said he was actually a nice guy. I'd probably get along with him but on the pitch, we just clash. If he was on the same team - you'd want someone like that on your team. At the end of the day, you want your centre half to not get bullied. It's all love."