Mikel Arteta needs to bring in a striker to help Arsenal clinch the Premier League title, according to Alan Shearer, while to talking to BBC. For two years straight, Arteta’s squad has been impressive with it’s performances but have fallen short because of Pep Guardiola’s unbeatable Manchester City. This year, things seem to be lining up for the north London club. With Guardiola’s contract nearing its end, important players gone or about to leave, and the Citizens facing a legal fight, this could be the season someone puts a stop to the powerhouse.
Shearer Highlights One Key Position
Premier League icon Alan Shearer has nothing but admiration for the current Arsenal side. However, he thinks the club needs to add one final key player to beat Guardiola’s City to the title, a goal-scoring forward. The Newcastle United great says both teams match each other in quality, but a standout centre-forward could tip the scales.
Arteta has been tight-lipped about needing a top-notch centre-forward but did say that the club aims to get better in every position including Arsenal’s attack. He has praised the Arsenal hierarchy for their steadfast approach in picking the right players for the right position and also the timing of such recruitments which could not be any better.
A lot of strikers might grab Arteta’s attention, but he could decide to ignore Shearer’s suggestions by getting through the season with just Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus as forwards. Havertz made a good impression after his £65 million transfer from Chelsea last year, and even though Jesus is close to leaving, he has also received praise from his manager and might play an important part in this season.
List of Strikers Arsenal Can Approach
A lot of bright prospects from other teams have been said to catch Arsenal’s eye. One that stands out is Brentford’s Ivan Toney, who people thought might join the Gunners in January. The 28-year-old has said he wants to leave the Gtech Community Stadium as soon as he can, but no teams have made an offer yet.
With a year left on his current contract with Brentford, teams might wait until next summer to avoid paying the £50 million transfer fee.
Newcastle striker, Alexander Isak, caught Arsenal’s attention earlier this transfer window. However, Newcastle’s financial concerns due to potential PSR violations put Isak out of Arsenal’s price range. Reports suggest Isak’s transfer fee could exceed £100m.
Another Swedish player might be a more realistic target. Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres has an £86m release clause, but clubs could buy him for less this summer. The Portuguese club hinted at a possible transfer for Gyokeres. They paid his former team, Coventry City, to lower his sell-on fee by five percent.
Shearer Has No Words to Describe Saka’s Display
On the ‘The Rest Is Football‘ podcast after the weekend, Alan Shearer said one Arsenal player’s performance caught his eye.
Bukayo Saka scored and set up a goal for the Gunners on Saturday. Shearer mentioned he was struggling to find new ways to praise the England international.
The Arsenal winger made a big impression on Shearer as he saw him deliver a great cross to Havertz, who nodded it into the net and also score a fantastic goal himself to double Arsenal’s lead.
Arsenal’s main task now is to find a good backup for Saka before the transfer window shuts. While Mikel Merino looks set to join Arsenal soon, the club has not made much progress in getting the much needed winger Arteta has in mind. Reiss Nelson might end up staying to cover the right side, but Arsenal could aim higher here. Also, John Obi Mikel thinks Arsenal need to sign another player to boost their chances of winning the title.
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