According to a report by Football London on Friday October 23, 2026, Arsenal-linked youngster Can Uzun has been criticised by Eintracht Frankfurt manager Adi Hutter, who claims the gifted forward will need to improve his team spirit and consistency to realise his potential.

Uzun, a 20-year-old Turkish international, joined Frankfurt from Bundesliga 2 in 2024 and quickly became one of the most promising attacking talents in German football, possessing great technical ability and creativity.

He had an incredible start to the 2025/26 season, scoring in five consecutive Bundesliga games. He has already scored four goals and provided three assists in six matches this season, but they came in only two of his outings as a whole, which is when the concern has begun to set in.

The young forward has been dropped to the bench by Hutter after starting every game in his charge this season, and he was an unused substitute against Koln last Friday as Frankfurt scraped a 1-0 victory.

Hutter spoke up about the player’s inconsistency, claiming that he would not succeed as a top-flight footballer unless he learns to play for the team rather than try to dazzle spectators.

“The sooner Can understands that football is also a team sport where you can show your quality, the more successful he will be in his career,” the Eintracht coach said.

He also claimed that the forward should display the same level of performance in matches as he does during training, warning that he will damage his reputation if he doesn’t.

Former Eintracht boss Albert Riera had similar words for Uzun, noting that a player’s attacking flair is wasted if they do not put in defensive efforts, which he believes holds them back from receiving consistent playing time.

Not only does Uzun operate best as support behind a central striker, but the fact that he has played on the left wing in recent weeks could also explain his decreased production in front of goal.

As reported earlier this week, Arsenal have allegedly contacted Uzun’s representatives, and the forward is on their radar as a potential target to strengthen their attacking options in the next two transfer windows.

A sum of around €60 million was mentioned by Eintracht regarding a possible sale of Uzun this summer, which frightened off potential buyers, such as Galatasaray.

Despite the interest, it seems unlikely that a move will happen before next season, although it is expected to happen if problems continue between the player and the club.

While Uzun would undoubtedly add flair and trickery to Arsenal’s attack, he will be required to improve his defensive qualities before he can be considered for a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Arteta does not tolerate a lack of effort from his forwards when they do not have the ball, which Uzun would have to adjust to if he joins the Gunners.