Arsenal forwards rated and slated: Who should leave and who should stay?

Arsenal has some of the best forwards in the Premier League with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Gabriel Martinelli, being players that any European team would love to have on their side.

Aubameyang leads the team in scoring with 20 league goals this season, but other forwards have scored important goals for the club too.

In this article, I rate and slate our forwards.

Alexandre Lacazette – LEAVE
Lacazette is an important member of our first team, but he has struggled under Mikel Arteta for some time now and the Frenchman might just not be a right fit for the Spaniard’s system. It is best we sell him now to get the maximum value.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – STAY
Aubameyang is arguably our most important player and losing him might undo all the good work that Arteta has done so far. We have to do all we can to keep him.

Nicolas Pepe – STAY
To some, Pepe hasn’t had the best of first seasons at the club, and it is understandable that some fans think he wasn’t the right signing. But he is still young, improving, and he hasn’t actually been that bad.

Reiss Nelson – STAY
Nelson hasn’t established himself in the first team yet and like most teenagers in the team, he has shown that he can save us millions in the transfer market. He should stay.

Eddie Nketiah – STAY
Nketiah has managed to dislodge Lacazette from the first team this year, and the young striker is taking his chances well. If he continues to develop this way, he might become one of the best players that we never spent money on.
 
Gabriel Martinelli – STAY
Martinelli has continued to prove that a player from the lowest division outside Europe can thrive in the Premier League. The Brazilian is so good that we cannot afford to lose him for any reason at the moment.

Bukayo Saka – STAY
Is he really a forward? I think he is, a left-winger, but that is the thing, he can be a midfielder and a defender such is his versatility.

An article from Ime

Tags Forwards

37 Comments

  1. Pepe is not young anymore, he is at his prime age

    If there is a good offer for him, Arsenal should take it. Otherwise the coaches have to train him harder

    1. we should give him time. it was an installment payment. it makes no sense to be thinking of selling him now. He will come good. Play him closer to the striker.
      Hazard has been a complete flop in front of goal since moving to real Madrid. but the Manager still has to be patient with him.

  2. we need also need a strong midfielder plus selling some players who no longer adding value to our team

  3. With Aubameyang Goals this season, we still dont qualify for Europe.

    What does that say about our squad? It is flawed. I would rather sell Aubameyang and keep Lacazette.

    Reason: Aubameyang is our best Player no doubt. However, we need strikers who can hold up play and bring others into play. something Lacazette offers more.
    Also, why keep playing Aubameyang on the flanks just to accommodate one of Nketiah or Lacazette playing centrally? Aubameyang relies more on pace to get past his marker. we need wingers who can go past a defender with ease.

    If it means selling Aubameyang to get a goal scoring midfielder/winger in the mould of Sterling, KDB, Bernado Silva, Asensio, Fekir, Son, Isco, Mahrez, i dont mind.

    We need goals from midfield. we need at least two ball playing attacking midfielders in midfield and the flanks who can dribble and shoot.

    In reality, this investment can only happen when we sell one of our best asset in Aubameyang.

    Our midfield has been the problem this season. We keep losing possesion in midfield because the personnel cant dribble. misplaced passing. no speed to our passing game. slow transition from defence to attack.

    A good midfield limits the pressure on the defence. Man City had Leroy Sane, but still went ahead to get Mahrez.

    Lacazette has been poor. he does not score as much goals as Aubameyang. But he keeps Central backs busy all through the game.

    I am an Aubameyang fan. but we dont need 4 Strikers in the squad.

    We can Sell Aubameyang (to raise cash for a marque signing like Asensio), and loan out Nketiah to a premiership side.

    AFC will not invest heavily on a top attacking midfielder without selling some players.

    Out: Ozil, Mkhytaryan, Elneny, Socratis, Kolasinac, Aubameyang, Mustafi, Guendouzi

    In: Asensio/Isco, Nabil Fekir, Thomas Partey, Lewis Dunk.

    Loan Out: Willock, Nketiah

    New Squad:
    Defence: Holding, Chambers, Cedric, Saliba, Dunk, Thierney, AMN, Bellerin, Mari

    DM: Luiz, Thomas Partey, Torrera. (Play Luiz in DM nest season)

    Central Midfield: Xhaka, Ceballos,

    Attacking Midfield: Pepe, Saka, Asensio, Fekir, Nelson, Smith Rowe

    Strikers: Martinelli and Lacazette

    If we put all our energy and finance into extending Aubameyang staying (offering him 300K per week), we wont invest in the attacking side of midfield. we need midfielders who can score goals more than we need to extend Aubameyang contract.

    Next Season first team.

    A 4141 formation

    Bellerin Dunk Saliba Thierney

    Partey

    Saka Pepe Ceballos Asensio

    Lacazette

    we need more goals from midfield. Asensio, Thomas Partey and Fekir signings are a must.

    If we cant get Asensio, then we should get Isco

      1. Bellerin is reportedly interested in leaving. If a concrete over comes, sell we can still get 35-50m

    1. I also think our over reliance on AUBA is hurting the team. Whenever he has off day like Sunday, the team struggle.

    2. Lol…we need, we need, we need …
      Heck yeah we need to first get a coach, get rid of that assistant experimenting wanna be coach in a top club.

      Then we do not need to lose Laca, important as Auba in his own role.

      Get rid of Pepe while still bankable. .

      Auba Laca Saka
      Nelson Martinelli can play different positions and of course Nketiah.

      Swap Gendouzi for Partey.

      Swap Kolas & Torreira to buy Koulibaly.

      Sell Sokratis, Mustafito get even.

      Go after Havertz, put 50M usual budget into it, add Xhaka,. best than Herta for him. Add Rowe on loan. That closes deal as Havertz want out to EPL.

      Sell Elneny, Miki, get rid of Luiz and Ozil for free, he wants home Turkey.

      Get Allegri. Matter of making smart business and showing ambition, we a top club, players will come if they se show that ambition.

      We do not, a dumbo’ard & assistant coach learning how to drive in a red Ferrari! Signing ng Luiz as co pilote in locker room.

    3. What you planning to get Asensio or Isco? How, when?

      Kidnap them and forces them smoke some hard stuff?

      That won’t even work. They are playing for titles with a great coach.

      You must ease on that Snoop.

      1. You are funny Mogunna. Let us be patient with Arteta. The board should buy quality players first and see how it goes. We can get Isco or Asensio if we offer them big money. Every player has a price. Except Messi and Ronaldo. Give Madrid cash plus Aubameyang in exchange for Asensio. 200K per week wage to Asensio. He is Spanish. Arteta is Spanish. Why not. We should force the board to show ambition for once

        1. Let me see if I get this right. You want to add goals from midfield. So you want us to give away our best striker + cash to get a player with 29 career goals in Real Madrid in 4 years. A player with 7 appearances this year. And you want us to give him 200k. So he can play as a left winger (which is his position). The same position where Auba plays. So to sum it up, you want us to give to Real Madrid our left winger that scored 25 goals this season so that we get their 2nd,3rd choice left winger that scored 2 goals this season. And you also want us to give them cash on top of that. Correct me if I didn’t understand something.

          1. Hi Chris. I know how important Aubameyang is to the team. He is our best player. He is not showing any signs of signing a contract. Do we need creative and skillful midfielders? Yes.
            Look at Man city. They have two strikers. The gulf in class between us and them is due to the midfield they have. They have better midfielders than us. Our club won’t sign the attacking midfielders we need without selling. If we put all our finances and effort towards begging Aubameyang to stay and we fail to add creative midfielders to the squad, we won’t make progress next season.
            We have 4 strikers. Man City have 2. Check were they are in the table. Priority should be getting two creative goal scoring midfielders. We are in this state because we don’t have midfielders who can move with the ball. If we have a KDB and Sterling in arsenal, we will be competing with Liverpool. The midfield is the problem. I don’t mind selling Aubameyang to get the required midfielders we need.

    4. Okay 👍 squad looks good,
      Pablao Mari and William saliba where will settle 🤔☺️

  4. When can we finally admit Pepe is a flop? Inconsistent, passenger for large portions of the game. I hope Martinelli and Saka can become starters next season because our scouting has been terrible once again. Arsenal is so poorly ran. David Luiz contract extension is just the latest sign.

    1. He needed a rocket up his arse yesterday….. I agree with all you say…. and am just waiting for breaking news of Mustafi signing a new deal…..

      1. Haha. Arteta is not a coach, a great assistant pampering players in n Arsenal Beauty Palace FC.

        If Luiz gets extension, be unfare Musafi to not get a new cut, He is better than Luiz who just has longer hair, curls as well but would still be discrimination; hair but still

    2. Maybe Pepe Babysitted all thru the night. lol

      He will come good. Be patient. He scored two free kicks in one match this season. He can dribble. he just need to realize this is the premier league where you need to be tough.
      He is unpredictable. very clinical in front of the goal. he will draw defenders to himself due to his tricky. let us give him some time.

      We rather need more of him in the squad.

      1. Haha, you right let’s give him another chance as Luiz all year long next season!

        He might grow some dread locks too, Arteta can do more extensionsz we are Arsenal beauty Palace FC after all.

    3. Flop? How do you classify a player as ‘flop’? Maybe you should compare his stats this season with Zaha,

  5. nketiah, willock, niles, mustafi, auba kolasinac, sell and loan, luiz no need for his contract extention

  6. 5goals, 6assist in his first season, starting only 20games and 8games as sub. Is that your definition of flop?

    1. No that’s not a flop, just a bit a financial dump and suicide

      If you count number of games he cost us a lost or draw, goals because of his lazyness, he is worth zero, a ridiculous and useless buy

  7. Nelson and nketiah are not going to make it in the top flight … pointless keeping them as they just crowd our game time for better youngsters

  8. Agree with all recommendations (didn’t agree we should sell Mavropanos in other article).

    If we can hold on to Aubameyang, we need to replace with a centre forward who can hold up play AND score goals. Lacazette has scored a couple of decent goals recently but struggles to play the full 90 minutes, hold up play isn’t great (almost always loses the ball) and just doesn’t score enough!

  9. stop playing our number one goal scorer on the wings play him down middle he was bought as a striker and train the wingers to do there jobs .

  10. Jon, I agree with your first paragraph, but I thought he was trying to be funny as well as making his point?!?!

    Mind you, after seeing the posts after yesterday’s defeat, there are many budding premier league managers out there, just waiting to pass their relevant exams and then take over from Mr Arteta.

    How they will buy all these players though, with kronkie in charge is a puzzle I just can’t work out.
    Surely, as they follow the club, the obvious restraints, under kronkie, are there for all to see.

    I would say though, name calling the boss as a “an assistant wannabe coach” is pretty mild to what others call some of our players, wouldn’t you agree?

    1. Ken, please compare Arsenal’s expenditure to the other clubs in the EPL.
      Kroenke has provided the money; what he has failed to do is bring in competent Board members and senior executives to manage the player and financial assets of this Club. The rot starts from the top. A change of owner without a clean out of the Board and senior management will not change Arsenal’s performance. Why would anyone pour in more money for it to be squandered?

  11. Should’ve signed Chukawaze and Pau from Villarreal for the same amount it cost us for Pepe

  12. Sell…… Bellerin
    Mustafi
    Luiz
    Sok
    Kolas
    Xakai
    Pepe
    Lacca

    Loan… Amn
    Willock
    Nelson
    Nekitha
    Smith roe

    Buy…… Rb
    Cb
    Dm
    2 cm
    Winger
    Striker

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors