Sport
Arsenal need to sign a prolific striker
Arsenal have reached a crossroads in the Mikel Arteta era. After he arrived halfway through the 2019/20 season, he was heavily praised for reinvigorating them as Premier League force, and was held up as an example of what can happen if a club is patient with their manager. But now, patience may be wearing thin.
Arteta took over from Unai Emery with the club at its lowest ebb. Although title charges had long been a thing of the past before Arsene Wenger departed a year earlier, they had slipped out of Champions League contention under Unai Emery. Arteta could only lead them to successive eighth-placed finishes in his first year and a half at the club, but he was in the process of ripping everything up and starting again. He was helped by an FA Cup win in his debut campaign, but by the time they finished fifth in 2022, there were clear signs of progress.
Though they collapsed and ultimately missed out on a return to Europe’s premier competition for the first time since 2017, Arteta had instilled them with a strength of character that would begin to take them further. The following season, they hit the ground running and took a title fight to Manchester City. Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko joined from City, where Arteta was assistant to Pep Guardiola before, and their winning mentality and experience helped transform the team.
Although they fell short, they bought Declan Rice from West Ham in 2023 and went again; raising the overall levels again. Last summer, with the right signings, there was optimism that they could go again and finally topple City, who had just clinched a record fourth successive crown.
The Rice deal was a real marker. It showed Arsenal could not only attract top players, giving credence to Arteta’s work, but also made the team more robust. That foundation was strong; he was joined by Kai Havertz in a £65m deal, which hasn’t quite had the sand impact. Though the former Chelsea forward has scored important goals and is a key cog in Arteta’s system, he isn’t prolific enough to take the team to a new level. They needed to repeat their trick with Rice and make a statement with a new forward they could build their team around.
Jesus, who has just suffered a second anterior cruciate ligament injury of his career, is no longer at the level Arsenal need up front either. Ricardo Calafiori came in to solidify the defence and Mikel Merino added another midfield option, but the window passed without that statement striker signing. It has ultimately proven costly.
City have run out of steam this season but it is Liverpool who have taken advantage. The Gunners have regressed tactically, becoming more defensive by their approach and reliant on set pieces. Injuries to their two creative sparks, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, have been problematic but they have lacked a killer instinct when it matters.
Arsenal haven’t had a player score 20 or more Premier League goals since Arteta’s first season. That was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who Arteta banished from the club.
Fans are desperate for an elite striker. The player they need to sign must have a similar impact to Rice. Although they are reportedly close to a deal for another midfielder, Martin Zubimendi, there are only a few options who could realistically make the difference for them. Not all of them are genuine possibilities, either.
Social media is abuzz with Gunners fans who dream of signing Newcastle’s Alexander Isak. But with the Magpies chasing Champions League football and the Swede still having over three years on his St James’ Park contract, they will demand a huge fee – in excess of £150m. With Profit and Sustainability Rules in place, it is tough to see Arsenal matching their demands.
There are others; Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon has been mentioned, as has Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig. Some would say they’d come with risk, but they’ve shown they might be worth it.
Whatever happens next, Arsenal need a striker. The narrative around Arteta is shifting, and he is in danger of permanently being viewed as a nearly man. The opportunity to strike hasn’t been taken yet, but they need to before it is too late.