Arsenal are poised to finish second in the Premier League.
It as good as confirmed Man City are winning this league title; all Arsenal can think of is ending the season in style by beating Wolves and Nottingham Forest and, after that, taking advantage of what the transfer window offers. If the players you have can’t help, the transfer window can be the friend you need.
Among the positions that Arteta will look to strengthen is his attack. Darren Bent claims Arteta needs another top striker. The ex-Premier League star feels Arteta needs to put Eddie Nketiah on the market and get Jesus some perfect competition for his starting role with No. 9, a hitman who can reach 20+ goals.
“I’d even try and get another centre forward in. As good as Jesus is, and he is fantastic, he doesn’t score enough goals and spends a lot of his time outside of the box,” said Bent on talkSPORT
“They need someone in there who is going to score goals, will put their head in there. I know Arsenal play that way, but I would let Eddie go and try and get another one in.”
This summer transfer window will be so busy for Arteta. If he wants to close the quality gap between his team and Manchester City, the Spaniard needs to make quality signings. For quality No. 9, Ivan Toney, Dusan Vlahovic, or Victor Osimhen should be considered.
If you were Arteta, who would you sign?
Daniel O
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Easy, Osimhen.
Ivan Tony already knows the premier league and he is in London
I have never understood this obsession with 20+ goal striker,particularly if there are multiple sources of goals within the team. Don’t get me wrong,I wouldn’t mind that kind of striker,I just don’t think it’s priority considering we have more pressing needs in other parts of the pitch namely CM,RB,CB,RW and possibly LB if Tierney leaves. If Arsenal invest heavily in the areas I have mentioned,I doubt they’ll have much left to buy an expensive striker. I believe the starting quartet of Saka,Martinelli,Odegaard and Jesus are each capable of getting 15+ goals a season,fitness allowing . You then have Nketiah,Trossard and ESR(and perharps the new winger) who are capable of getting 8-10 goals each. If you include the odd goals from midfield and defense,you’ll be looking at very good numbers. Arsenal has the most players with double digits in terms of goals scored and that speaks a lot. Despite the heavy drubbings that Man City have dished to their opponents this season, they have scored only 9 more goals than Arsenal. For perspective,the team in third ,Newcastle have 20 fewer goals than Arsenal! Clearly Arsenal’s weakness isn’t scoring goals,it’s conceding them. Arsenal,for instance,has astonishingly conceded more goals than poor Chelsea and has the worst defensive record of the teams in top five. Our defensive record at home is particularly awful I suspect it’s in the bottom half of the table.
It is also worth noting that Arsenal has had strikers score 20+ goals in a season(RVP,Aubameyang,Sanchez) yet those past squads didn’t achieve what this current side has achieved.
That said,it’s my opinion that getting more athleticism in the middle of pitch,finding a capable right CB to rotate with Saliba, another right back since Tomi is proving to be injury prone,will help the team defensively.Perharps if there is need for a taller striker who is good in the air,a relatively cheap option can be acquired to offer something different. But I doubt Arteta wants to play that way – Arsenal is in the bottom three in terms of crosses into the box and I believe that’s by design.
Balogun should’ve been kept this year so we could see what he could do.
We have 2 below par strikers(for challenging for the title) in Eddie and Jesus and an unknown entity of Balogun that leaves us completely in no mans land now with a decision to be made
I don’t think that would have helped – balogun to play consistently so he could have this breakout season, and that was never going to happen here. We should be able to judge now if he would work in our team/league. Personally, I think he could be a very good PL striker, if not right now, then in the near future, but i don’t think he’d fit in well with our team. I don’t think he has enough quality in his general play – but others will know better.
If we dont get a proper striker (no false nines or Jesus replacement) i dont see us getting top 4 next year. Teams are harnessing Jesus pretty easily now, he isn’t a striker per se and never will be. Controversial but i would sell and get a different type of striker.
Hi Reggie
I agree we need a striker and that Jesus is not one. However, I would not sell him as he is the ideal backup to either wings currently occupied by Saka and Martinelli and can operate as a second string striker.
I feel we should get a loan striker for 1 year and then give Balogan a 6 month loan spell with a newly promoted PL team. Then start assess and put Balogan in the starting line up in Jan.
Another reason is we have American owners and Balogan has just switched to USA. It is generally good for the club profile in USA and their fanbase.
My understanding is Balogun will be sold if we get 30 mil plus for him.
This does not make sense from an USA point of view. But you may well be right.
Trying to offset bad decisions like Vieira and Pepe might be their motive.
Or put the money towards a new striker more suitable.
Arteta should sell Eddie Nketiah and go for Dusan vlahovic, if he really wants to challenge for tittle next season
Well it certainly won’t be Toney who has been banned for 8 months.Big loss for Brentford who might go for Balogun or Nketiah?