Arsenal’s squad for next season – The striker options?

My Thoughts On How Our Squad Should Be Set-up For Next Season by Usmanov

With an all important FA Cup final in front of us and what is turning out to be a pretty comfortable run to secure a place in the top four, I am tempted to say that there isn’t much left from this season. We are approaching that time when we would need to start thinking about next season.

Now, if we have intentions of planning to compete seriously for the league title next season, then we need to start asking the important questions right now, this season. Questions like: Which player(s) should be in our plan for next season? Is there a need to add to this current squad? If yes, how many players are needed? In this article, I will try to answer those questions by first analyzing the composition of our squad, starting with the attacking department.

Let me go straight right into it. Beginning next season, I assume that Arsenal should have available to them, at least twelve (12) strikers/wingers who more or less are/could be in and around the first team squad. Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez, Oxlade- Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck, Wellington Silva, Joel Campbell, Lukas Podolski, Yaya Sanogo, Serge Gnabry, Ryo Miyaichi and Chuba Akpom –these players form the list of 12.

Of the 12 mentioned above, which and how many of them exactly shouldn’t be in our plans for next season?

Well, based on the evidence of recent performances, if at all there is one player you can say is of decent quality, BUT isn’t really needed by Arsenal at the moment, it has to be Joel Campbell. That is why I think he simply shouldn’t be in our plans for next season. Same applies to Podolski, Wellington Silva and Miyaichi (except if the brand/marketing department at AFC thinks we still need Miyaichi).

I consider the case of Yaya Sanogo to be a tricky one. Alongside Akpom and Gnabry, they form a part of our squad that is relatively very young and fresh with little time and exposure at the top-level of football. This trio will certainly benefit from more experience that comes with playing time. However, except if we have injuries ravaging our squad next season, these players – Sanogo, Akpom and Gnabry – really shouldn’t be getting much playing time in the first team – not even from cup games. Invariably, they will need to play in the Under-21s or out on loan. You cannot over-emphasize the fact that they need to play so that they can develop into becoming the players we all (Wenger included) want them to be.

That leaves the squad remaining with five (5) strikers/wingers – Giroud, Sanchez, Walcott, Chamberlain and Welbeck.

Next question is: Is there a need to add to this group? I’ll answer yes! One (1) top-quality attacker (preferably) with the capacity to comfortably play anywhere across the front-line should be enough addition. Theo Walcott may leave or stay next season –regardless of that, we still need to add this top-quality attacker to our group of attackers that has already started to benefit from a newly-found enormous competition for places. This additional attacker would provide the club a certain lift and freshness. More importantly, it will mean that at any point in time we should have an attacking force -exclusively made up of proven quality- playing for us in the league and even in the cup games.

Lacazette, Reus, Dybala – As long as he is top-quality, I am not really concerned about who exactly this new player should be, as I trust that Wenger will only recruit a player that fits into the team’s new-found style of play.

By Usmanov

Tags Akpom Gnabry Sanogo

38 Comments

  1. To be honest, Sanogo hasn’t scored a single goal in CP, he should just be sold and be done with it. Guy’s 22 and still far away from playing for the first team, he has no future with Arsenal.

    I’d like to send Welbeck out on loan as well, he could use the time to boost his confidence as a lone striker – something we wouldnt see him do for us this or next season that often. I’ve been very negative with him, but he’s doing fairly fine on the wings, but if he ever is to become a striker, he needs to go somewhere he can play as a striker in every game.

    A new striker is needed to win the PL next season, but we should also have at minimum an equal focus on the defensive midfield. Let’s follow the ol’ Invincibles recipe – go french – Kondogbia (or pogba? Just the thought of it makes the football fan in me horny) and Lacazette!

      1. Do you reckon he’s gonna become that striker we want him to be by playing him on the wings? he’s not a winger, and he’s not good enough for the striker position *smh*

        1. Welbecks a fine winger and the sort weve been missing for years. Who knows one day he might become an excellent striker for us, he already is for England.

          If he had Theos finishing he could be a mini Thierry.

          1. Welbeck isnt even good enough to be a mini-Henry ever. But he does have useful qualities on the wings. Useless when it comes to actually scoring unfortunately. If Wenger can make Welbeck a good finisher I’d be amazed.

            1. It amazes me how many people here dont see that. All they see is his goals for the national team. Newsflash bumheads: Arsenal is not the english national team.

              Welbeck is a good first defender with the pace to make the opposition rethink their strategy. Bulk up bellerin and youll have the same (if not better) player

  2. Actually Sanogo has scored once for CP, but I agree with that he doesn’t look at all capable of stepping up and that’s why I question Wenger’s decision release Afobe and Keep him. Something tells me Welbeck is going to be a tear so I’ll keep him around.

  3. Wenger should have kept Afobe or Vela
    But the past is the past.

    Sell Sanogo, Campbell and Podolski. Sign Lacazette or Reus and we should be fine

    1. signing Reus isn’t as simple as just saying sign Reus. Every top club in the world wants him. We havent won EPL in over a decade, dont get past R16… why would he come here? If we want Reus we should maybe get a manager that is capable of winning the big trophies.

      1. are you a Liverpool fan? reus is bigger then ozil when we signed him or sanchez when we signed him.

        you might say reus would sign for barca or Madrid, but other then them two we can get him.

  4. I still rate Cavani/Higuain/Benteke for reasonable price though. All are an upgrade on Giroud (pls forget about stats)

    1. forget about stats? so i’m just to go on your subjective opinion? LOL. give him a break. we do need another attacking player, but if a striker is not to be judges on scoring (statistics) then you are BIASED. guy is doing a job and has become very good.

      1. I have to agree Giroud is doing a good job but I don’t think that’s enough. The big teams always try to improve on what they have. Di Maria basically won that CL final for Real but he was still replaced. Giroud has improved a lot and is doing and a good job, but that should not stop us from bringing in a player who can score more.

      2. Although I agree Giroud has improved a lot and is doing a good job for the team one has to ask if it’s enough to win us the league or the CL? Even though he is playing well, it shouldn’t stop us from bringing in a player who can contribute more to the team.

    2. don’t knw what u see in the current Higuain (who’s even becoming old stock)……. NapoLi are not even great with him!

  5. Chelski scum win league – score from a penalty after a dive….they must be so proud.

    1. We need to let that hatred and envy go now, they won the league and there’s nothing anyone can do or say to change that. Focus on ourselves and not Chelsea

  6. I’m so pissed off right now …. we will NEVER win the league with Le Prof, he’s a player developer he’s not a manager capable of winning, a specialist in failure he is.

    sick and tired of this crap.

  7. fitting that chelsea win on a PK…. sums up the last half of thier season… I generally do not like Mourinho but his interviews are classic, when asked if this is what he came back for, his answer, i came back to work…

  8. I don’t think Wenger will buy either Lacazette or Dybala for the striker role. If u observe, Wenger likes tall strikers. The only smaller striker who had a run of games centrally was Eduardo. Walcott has been crying for years to be used as a central striker but have only been given very few games at that role. And those two players(Dybala and Lacazette) have only shone this year. I think a more prudent buy will be Reus. If we get Reus and Kondogbia that will be good business for the team this summer. It gives an opportunity to alternate between tactics-we can choose to play either Giroud or Walcott as the the striker with Sanchez and Reus on the wings. If we play Walcott instead of Giroud, then we can play Kondogbia to replace Giroud’s height if that’s needed. That will make us more unpredictable.

    1. Walcott lacks all the power a striker needs in the centre. No team will use him there.

  9. Tottenham’s defence is shocking, just absolutely shocking. How on earth did we not beat them in either game this season?

  10. As for me,the only attacker d squard need is out to out striker,a point man,we already have enough wingers and attackin mf OG12 seems to be d only one doing dat job,Alexis,Poldoski,Wellbeck and Walcot have all been tried their but all failed. We need a ST dat only understand the language of goal I can’t say names bt a chicharito kind of player bt of higher quality than him

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