This summer’s priority is clear: Arsenal need a proven goal scorer for next season.
Gabriel Jesus could have been the main man, but injuries have been cruel to him. Kai Havertz is a good option, but he can’t be our only (and first) option. Raheem Sterling has played centre-forward in the past and… well, that didn’t exactly work out, did it?
What kind of striker does Arteta really want?
When we look at the statistical profile of the players Arteta has trusted, we get a sense of the kind of centre-forward he gravitates towards. The ideal Arteta striker scores as much as he creates. He contributes off the ball. He’s a good passer. He can play multiple positions if needed. He might be good at take-ons (like Gabriel Jesus).
Take Kai Havertz last season, for example (stats from FBref):
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9 goals and 3 assists in 23 matches (1,875 minutes)
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Non-penalty xG + xAG: 0.58
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Shot-creating actions: 2.25
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Pass completion: 79.2%
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Passes attempted: 25.97
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Progressive passes: 2.96
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Blocks: 1.11
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Clearances: 1.37
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Aerials won: 2.96
Havertz is exceptional at almost everything… except scoring and assisting 20+ goals, or receiving the ball and taking players on. Maybe with more minutes, he could reach 20 goal contributions, but we need more than a maybe.
Why Watkins fits the profile
Now compare that to Ollie Watkins (stats from FBref):
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16 goals and 8 assists in 38 matches (2,598 minutes)
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1 goal and 4 assists in the Champions League
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Three consecutive seasons of 20+ goal contributions
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Non-penalty xG + xAG: 0.60
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Pass completion: 72.8%
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Progressive carries: 1.80
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Interceptions: 0.3
Watkins scores and assists consistently in the Premier League. Like Havertz and Jesus, he’s a good passer, but he makes his passes count, assisting goals regularly. He can carry the ball and take players on. In many ways, he’s like Jesus… but a better finisher and not injured. And he was excellent in the Champions League last season.
While Aston Villa were naïve in the first leg, they were very impressive in the second leg against PSG, and so was Watkins.
Arsenal have shown interest in Ollie Watkins.
What about Sesko or Gyökeres?
Sesko isn’t a 20+ goals and assists player yet. Nor is he an exceptional passer. Like Watkins, he carries the ball into the final third, but if he signs, the pressure will be on Havertz, not him, to start. I could see Havertz staying fit and hitting 20-ish goal involvements. Sesko? Not in his first season.
As for Gyökeres, he’s impressive, but it’s hard to predict how his goals and assists will translate to the Premier League. Defenders here are strong and quick. He’s got good passing and successful take-on numbers, but I can’t help comparing him to a younger Darwin Núñez.
Remember when people were debating whether Núñez or Haaland would score more? Enough said. We saw during the Wenger years that high-scoring French strikers can flop, and with Emery, a French winger too. It’s a gamble Arsenal don’t need to take this summer.
Watkins isn’t too old, he’s ready now
Some will argue Watkins is too old. I don’t buy that. He’s at his peak at 29 and could share minutes with Havertz next season. Like Jorginho, he could fade in 2-3 seasons when a truly great option becomes available. (Isak? Did Aguero have any kids?)
In the end, all three strikers, Watkins, Sesko, and Gyökeres, will probably cost £60-80 million. So why not go with the one who already fits?
Cheers!
Will
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I would sign Watkins with one of the others
Yep. Watkins with Sesko to mature into the role over the season.
Imo, Gyokeres past experience in Epl could count for something just like Merino. Besides, he scored against an English team -ManCity in UCL. Some fans said he scored lots of penalty goals, if I may ask Chelsea won first UCL on penalties, Spain won Eropean nation cup 2025 on penalties, PSG got to final of 2025 UCL beating Liverpool on penalties. Scoring penalties is a vital skill set for a good CF.
If Havertz and Merino in false9 and first season could score a few goals for Arsenal as a midfielder, Gyokeres would surely score goals.
Arsenal is a team that creats loads of chances we only need good finishers and Gyokeres is good at that.
Sesko seem not to be too concerned about joining Arsenal, past two seasons there have been too many dilly-dally on getting him. I am not impressed.
Heard there’s a young striker in the French league banging them in ,reported value 40 million ,oh wait my mistake it’s the one Arteta let go for 2 million without given him a chance .
And fans trust this guy to spend big money on a position he has no clue about .
Not one proper forward(stricker ) signed since his arrival .
@Dan kit
“Mika Biereth”… And Arteta is supposed to to known for developing young academy talent. That kid has all the attributes and is the right age to have been molded for the CF position, instead using makeshift players playing out of position. He will only get better. His value will skyrocket and we will regret that giveaway.
Not given one appearance in his time here .
How could Arteta and his team not see his potential.
Very odd .
Arteta can’t manage talent and his only chance of success is to buy the league title.
He cant gake us any further and should leave before spending more.
🤣🤣🤣
Can’t stick with Jesus he’s constantly injured..
Watkins would be a good fit and he’d score plenty of goals at Arsenal.
Would of gone for Delap too , no brainer at 30mill
Arteta loves Harvertz who ever comes in will assist him not replace him completely.
Wait and see
Watkins is decent but I would rather we signed none of them than him. I just don’t rate him that highly and would prefer we just stick with Havertz and Jesus. Watkins does not improve the team at all in my opinion, and it is just my opinion.
Watkins will have absolutely no sell-on value unlike the other two. I like Watkins but I’d only bring him in if we were getting a younger striker as well as him. It takes almost all players a season to ‘get’ Arteta’s tactics and style, I worry Watkins isn’t as mouldable and whilst he would fit in the system I don’t think he’d improve the team or raise his own level – he’s already starting to get pushed aside at Villa. It’d be more akin to getting Lacazette again.
A decent shout, but only as our 4th choice behind Sesko, Goy, and Osimhen.
Let’s not forget Emery benched him a fair bit last season, and even after Duran had left. Watkins would improve us, but he wouldn’t be a transformative signing like a Rice or Jesus were.
While we continue to debate our competitors are actually doing something. Man City have brought in almost half a dozen in January and in this mini-trasfer season. Liverpool have broken the bank to prove they’re not planning on relinquishing their title. Chelsea and Man U have brought in new faces. Even Tottenham who just won something have brought in a player. Let Arsenal and Arteta continue to saddle and act like everyone out there, including hot players, is going to wait for them to make up their mind. But let Arsenal fans prepare their mind for a 5th or 6th place finish next season.
Arsenal are so poor at the striker position that that they really to sign two options. Sign someone with experience who can help now and hope that scouts can identify a younger, affordable player to grow into the position. I don’t see anyone in the Arsenal U21 team who looks like they can become a good PL striker.
Why mention Raheem Sterling? Is he an option???
A player who was being benched at the tail end of season at villa, now a team going for the tittle and competing against liverpool and city should sign him, I respect your opinion but it surprised me a bit, arteta and arsenal should deliver the tittle at all cost this coming season, so they know whoever they sign upfront must be spot on
Go for Osimhen. Osimhen represents a unique opportunity for Arsenal to solve the need for a goal-scoring striker. His goal-scoring, physical attributes and the present market situation make him an obvious choice. Osimhen is a class striker who scores a lot of goals no matter where he plays. Osimhen is 1,86 m tall, strong in the air and very fast, making him ideal for the physical demands of the Premier League. I know there may be problems with his character, but here Arteta has to show his format and do a good job to make him understand the environment in Arsenal Signing him would send a signal about Arsenal’s ambitions and potentially make us favourites for the Premier League title in 2025/26. We need two real strikers. So Watkins could be a good backup for Osimhen. We are too fragile with only one striker. The season is long. The price for Watkins may be more reasonable now as well.
My pick would be Osimhen but Arteta won’t
I share the same opinion but I believe the coach knows better than me and you.
Watkins wants to runaway from stiff competition at Villa as they are endowed with talents in that particular no. 9 position. What is unfit for Villa cannot be workable for Arsenal. For me I couldn’t understand why Arsenal didn’t sign the inexpensive Liam Delap who is more tamable than Watkins with who we had some bitter feelings as he scored the sucker punches against Arsenal for two seasons running killing title hopes.
@Ambachew: I agree. It’s beyond why Arsenal didn’t sign Liam Delap. Experienced PL striker who scored goals in difficult conditions on a weak team.
Not for me, his level is Villa. He below top class.
Thank heavens we didn’t get him in January then Reggie
Well Sue, what has he really done, so special?
I was agreeing with you
Has any of our attackers bettered Watkins in the past 3 seasons? Very strange question you have asked there.
He is more than doing his job.
Or perhaps it might be because of Emery’s talent to turn stones into diamonds unlike our poor man’s Pep who turn diamonds into valueless shiny stones.
And as DK has pointed above sometimes he does not even recognize a diamond when it stares into his face!
Better then what we have
I prefer Haverz.
It’s beyond me. 🙂
Arteta will only go for an Arteta type of player. Someone who can fit in his style of play. He is incharge after all and he will have his way. Otherwise Liam Delap was a no brainer.That boy works his socks off and at that cost we couldn’t go wrong at all.
We still have the whole window with us so no reason to worry yet.I hope to see serious movement on recruitment. We have no choice but to improve specific positions with appropriate signings.
Those Gooners who repeatedly say ‘don’t worry we’ve enough time’ are virtually administering a soothing pain killer only for the illness to relapse after a while. Our bosses are adept at executing dark arts till the window closes. They make us take a sweet sinesta only to know the window is already closed when we truly wake up. This player.. that player.. we’re PSR safest .. at advanced stage.. shortly medical.. his favourite shirt number given.. even lauding those involved in the scouting & recruitment.. The Film Ends!
Yeah Delap’s fees buys 2 Havertzs and a Kepa. Inexpensive with lucrative resale value, his stamina, height and aerial power, battling with defenders, concentration, prior working experience with Arteta and Jesus at City etc were bonus points to make him sign for Arsenal unfortunately Chelsea quietly took him only to torment us in the derby later.
To mean Havertz’s fees rather. Transposed.
I would have liked to see Delap at Arsenal to. The fee was good and would have allowed for more funds to be available, and he performed well in a struggling side.
Playing and training with better players would have brought him on, and the fact he’s already adjusted to the league was also something worth considering.
But again Chelsea steeped in with no mucking about and got their target. I for one will be interested to see how Delap performs for them next season. And if he performs well, he will be yet another missed opportunity for our club to have gone for but didn’t.
Too much negativity, let’s finish the window before starting with the complaining. COYG
Watkins would be a good squad player