With Gabriel Jesus’ groin injury, Mikel Arteta should have received a perfect transfer request. In fact, the Arsenal manager should ask Edu to find him a striker, or else Eddie Nketiah’s planned move to Nottingham Forest should be put on hold.
Following the win over Fulham, Arteta expressed his confidence in Kai Havertz and Jesusto leading his attack this season. However, Jesus sustains another injury just one week into the season, bringing his total injury time since joining Arsenal to 185 days.
Aside from his effectiveness, Jesus being injury-prone is a source of concern. Regardless of your skill level, being injury-prone can be detrimental to your team. Arsenal needed someone to push Havertz; a game like the one against Villa required a fantastic substitute striker who could come in and capitalise on every opportunity that came his way. The way Leandro Trossard transformed the flow of the game after replacing Gabriel Martinelli on the left wing, should give you an idea of how valuable having a superb striker alternative for Havertz can be.
What should Mikel Arteta do if you can’t ensure Jesus will be fit, and even if he is, there’s no guarantee he’ll be clinical? He should consider taking advantage of the transfer window while it is still open to sign a striker.
Think of Victor Gyokeres. What does he need to accomplish to convince Arsenal to sign him and pit him against Havertz (and even Jesus) for a starting spot? With six goals and one assist in three games so far this season, the Sporting Lisbon forward stands out; he could transform Arsenal into a title favourite if he joins. If Arsenal was still undecided about whether to recruit a winger or a striker, Jesus’ injury should help them decide.
If not, Nketiah stays…
Darren N
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We need a no9 end of. Nketiah, unless there is a massive break down will go. Jesus (and Haverz come to that) are not strikers, as in proper no9 class finishers. Haverz is doing a job but he isn’t a striker. We can’t win anything thing without that option.
@Reggie
Real Talk…👍🏾
It made me laugh too, that there’s still Arsenal fans out there paying absolutely no attention to what really is happening, and just the paper talk. Kai’s goal involvements since moving into number 9 role are absolutely amazing ratio, goal involment in every game bar one (Man City away) anyone – and I mean either Victor, coming in for big £60M+ would struggle to better that ratio, at any point of their Arsenal career!
Both Victors are unproven in the Premiership. Anyone believe Gyökeres can transform his Championship and Primeira stats into Premiership stats? Those leagues are on a par with the premiership right now? Seriously?
Havertz contribution to this Arsenal side is getting his amazing goal involvement ratio through tireless running and determination to jump through walls to win each challenge, first balls second balls, and this contributed to amazing stat of 4 players scoring more than 7 Premiership goals and Arsenals most goals ever in Prem season too last year. Osimhen could match that physicality, but is very injury prone doing it, Gyökeres couldn’t match that physicality, is not that sort of player, besides Gyökeres being a huge, untried risk in Premiership, especially for that sort of silly price in this new style window.
Havertz takes all those clatterings and is back for more the next game, please factor in natural fitness and can take the rough and tumble in your deliberations as to the value of someone’s contribution. Kai at number 9 is the X factor ingredient in Arsenals remarkable winning run in 2024 so far – a goal involvement EVERY GAME. He is worth far more than 100M to us right now, and must start every game.
So, who do you bring on in games like Saturday when Haverz was not in it? Not Jesus or Nketiah. Who do you play if Haverz isn’t playing for any reason? Not Jesus or Nketiah. Who do you use in Cup games? Not Haverz or Jesus or Nketiah, because all have not proven successful for us in them. Are you suggesting Haverz plays in EVERY game for us as Striker? Because if you are, he wont last the season. We need a proper striker, if we are going to win anything. We have won nothing so far without one.
Uh Trossard! Who scored off the bench ?
Uh, he isn’t a striker.
Trossard is very effective false(ish) number 9. Anfield Hat-trick for reference. Man City won title after title with false 9’s. Goals don’t all have to come from the centre forward, titles don’t rely on it. Record ever goals for Arsenal last season, but how many from centre? ditto Liverpools title and numerous titles from Man City.
Having said that, Kai is lung busting and challenging for everything, the hard and dirty every team needs to put in, in order to first build that stage a good performance then plays out on. But in addition, Kai IS getting a remarkable goal involvement ratio this year, that any other forward we could sign in world football would struggle to match. Sure, remember Henry’s goals contribution to the invincible season, but Henry’s constant chasing down was just as key to the success.
My own football philosophy is yes, you can’t have too many forward options, nor rotate them too often before the run in phase. Though keep defence stable all year, if possible. Emery, and many other managers, give all their forwards plenty game time every week. Arteta doesn’t. You can easily imagine Arteta leaving Watkins out there and Duran on bench. If we buy a forward this week, it’s for the bench, and likely more bench here than at many other clubs.
So I’d like to see a hugely promising youngster, like Semih Kilicsoy as there arn’t many “next Agüero” out there (go to YouTube, see him play) who can contribute more and more in coming seasons as they develop. In this new era of financial restrictions, the “buy the next superstar” route is becoming riskier, so surely back yourself to develop the next world superstar yourself, from promising young talent.
Having said that, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of Raheem Sterling. Genuinely as good on either flank (better on right imo) and through the middle – and I think could be a helpful mentor to the other younger forwards, is part of my consideration too.
Does that answer the question?
Actually, yes, I do expect Kai to start every Prem Match for Arsenal this season. I can’t imagine a premiership fixture this season where Raya, Saliba, Gabriel, Rice, Ode, Kai and Saka don’t start if fit.
Saliba was my man of match at Villa. Don’t know what game Gary Neville was watching to give man of match to someone else. That was so far Saliba’s best ever game for Arsenal.
You didn’t read the question correctly. I said, do you expect Haverz to start every game? And my reasoning is, we need an option to a false striker and a striker, with a good scoring record. None of our players fur that bill.
I am paying close attention to every word – I don’t think anything has had a furry bill since the Devonian period.
Yes, is my answer. Kai will join Raya, Saliba, Gabriel, Rice, Ode and Saka in starting every league game, if fit. League and FA cups, the bench will start. CL has a very different format that makes it more random and much harder for the stronger European sides to target and win it – PL is the only target now for Arsenal this season, so our better players will have some or most European weeks off, with their feet up and resting. Good luck to Liverpool and and Aston Villa if they put their strongest side out in those European games as well as the Premier League fixtures either side of the game, neither will make top 4 if they are daft enough to do that.
Funny how you asked and answered the questions yourself. Lol..
Well someone has to.
Well, if it takes us as long to sign a striker as it has to get this guy Merino here we won’t be getting one this transfer window. All I keep hearing is that we have agreed a fee, agreed terms with him, he’s had a medical , why can’t we have anything official about him, why the hold up in getting him.
But nothing in the current “situation” around strikers is a revelation, is it. Havertz shouldn’t just be the automatic choice, regardless of anything else. Shock, horror! Jesus is injury-prone (and doesn’t score many even when fit). Surprise, surprise!
Yes, there are goals elsewhere “in the team” as we saw to good effect yesterday, but you can’t just rely upon that in my opinion. There were a lot of goals last season of course, but that doesn’t guarantee it will simply be replicated across the whole of 2024-25.
I have thought and continue to think that a striker is needed. I’d have him to replace Jesus in effect, and to put the proper, necessary, pressure on Havertz (who has not been hugely prolific so far anyway in his career – 17 goals his best back in 2018, I think) and also as an “insurance” against inevitable injuries, suspensions, Acts of God etc.
It would be ironic indeed if Eddie – a player that Arsenal was/is clearly content should leave – be it to Olympic Marseille, Bournemouth, Forest, wherever turns out to be a player we could have to rely upon as the club enters the most important season for years.
If there’s any real revelation here, it’s that we’re a few days from the end of the window and this hasn’t (yet) been addressed. There’s time still, but it’s running out fast.
Why is Jesus the 1st choice striker at Arsenal?
Why is Havertz regularly played at CF?
Why is Nketiah not playing?
Because Arteta doesn’t want a 9 in his squad.
If Arsenal do go to market for a new attacker, it sure as hell isn’t going to be a regular 9. They will either bring in another winger and just play Havertz/Trossard/Martinelli at CF until Jesus is back, or they will bring another player who can play centrally, but isn’t a 9.
“Think of Victor Gyokeres. What does he need to accomplish to convince Arsenal to sign him?”
That is an astoundingly wrong question. If Arsenal are at all interested in Gyokeres, then the only possible stumbling block is the price. If they aren’t interested, there isn’t anything Gyokeres can do to change that.
Arsenal scored a record number of goals last season without a proper 9 in the side. Their go-to guy at 9 is on 9 goals and 8 assists in 15 games as a CF. They’re doing fine without a 9 and there’s no reason at all for them to change that just to make fans happy they overspent on a “proper striker.”
Havertz has started the first 2 games which would indiciate he is the first choice striker
Nketiah leaving is independent of bringing a striker in, always has been, no one raised the question last week did they
a small injury to Jesus does not change that, he is bound to get a niggle now and then
Nkatiah seems a real fit for Forest, hopes the former academy graduate do every thing under his control to aide the transfer, take a pay cut if he has to.
With the Arsenal fans base on his back for his decent salary, something he can be excuse of, been not the one to offer his self the deal.
Think he should ask Arsenal to afforded him the opportunity to leave.
We have to remember that the incredible goal scoring run, that saw SU, WHU, Palace etc was the main reason we had such an impressive GF figure.
Of course, I’m not taking anything away from that achievement, but we have to factor that in.
I really don’t see why keeping Nketiah solves anything at all.
He’s been given so many opportunities during his time at the club and, in my opinion, there has been no progress whatsoever.
Sell him for a good price and, if we don’t sign another forward, promote from within to be on the bench.
Spot on Ken.
@ken1945. how else can a team get a massive GF or incredible goal scoring run without scoring more in some matches.. having a new no 9 will not necessarily add to Arsenal overall goals it will only shift the concentration of goals shared among the team to a particular player.
I’m not sure what your asking me, as common sense answers your thought pattern.
What I’m saying is that we have to remember the clubs we scored so many goals against were the likes of Burnley and SU, who were both relegated.
It’s also interesting to note that Eddie scored his hatrick against SU if I’m not mistaken.
I actually agree with you that signing a complete striker may not see us score more goals, but it WILL give us a different option or a plan B as some would like to call it.
I really don’t see that, by keeping Eddie, anything changes from last season, as he’s not going to improve.
It will give a different dimension and a top no9 wins you leagues. Look, I will be very happy, if we dont buy a striker and actually win the league or CL and you come back and tell me I was wrong. VERY HAPPY. But personally I dont see it. If its good enough for City and Real Madrid. Its good enough for me.
The teams you reference are two of the biggest contemporary clubs who brought in two of the very best in the world in specific circumstances. There are no strikers of a similar profile that are available for Arsenal to target.
Aren’t there?
I would say Nketiah should still be sold regardless to generate some “clean” profit for the club. But Arsenal will need to sign a striker even though preliminary reports are suggesting that Jesus’ injury is short term. Still, with the benefit of hindsight we can’t be sure that he will be available for a good chunk of the season.
the biereth sale was a real shocker. He never got near the 1st team his stats are amazing since his move could have scored a shed load of goals for 1st team
I guess Arteta would prefer Nketiah staying instead of signing a new CF, because Nketiah worked hard for high press and he’s been playing with Arteta’s system for years
I’d be surprised if Arsenal sign a new CF, because a good towering one like Sesko and Vlahovic are currently overpriced or not available
Gai, I don’t think it’s about the price it’s more about priority for Arteta.
Another coach would not buy Merino but save the money and add it up for a good CF it’s about priority.
A club that spent over 100m on Rice last summer can afford another player of status. . But Arteta sees things differently and he genuinely has a point after his Boys scores goals only bettered by City last season.
Who are the strikers that we could bring in that would take us to another level?
We want Osimhen but wont pay, for starters.
Toney is another.
He is Ken. And i am sure there are more.
Rice was worth more than £100m because he was a highly-skilled young midfieder with tall stature, high stats, high marketability and homegrown status
If Sesko and Vlahovic were homegrown in England, I bet Arsenal would also be willing to pay more than £100m for one of them
I don’t think it’s the case arteta “doesn’t want a no9”, as some seem to believe – I think he’d get one in, but only if he’s convinced they’d suit our style if play, have the kind of attitude he likes etc. They’d also have to make financial sense. I wouldn’t be surprised if we do make a cheeky late bid for someone – don’t think we will (more likely to try for a winger if anything,imo), but wouldn’t be all that surprised either.
If another club is offering £25-30 for Nketiah then we have to take it .
His value will deteriorate, especially if he is not playing games.
He has not started a game this year.
He Is a good lad, never moans about being frozen out despite the fact that he had broken into the England squad, but just let him move on.
Gyokeres.
Trossard. Odegaard. Saka.
Merino. Rice.
Calafiori. Gabriel. Saliba. White.
Raya.
So our best G/A currently in Havertz is not in your starting XI?
No Timber?
The striker is needed, anyone can see that. Look at the Aston Villa game so many crosses in front of the goal went by unused.
👍 that’s because we haven’t got a striker, that is looking for that.