Ray Parlour has urged Arsenal to bring in a ‘top class’ striker in January to strengthen their cause to challenge for the title.
The talk of a new striker at Arsenal is nothing new, as this has been an ongoing debate for over a year. Nobody, including Mikel Arteta, envisaged that Kai Havertz would be able to provide a focal point the way he has done, considering he was signed as a midfielder rather than as a striker.
Either way, the German attacker has been tremendous since the start of the year, when he predominantly played as Arsenal’s No. 9. His goal contributions had improved to a level that Arsenal decided against signing a new striker in the summer when everyone expected them to do so.
They had extensive links to top names in the summer, although Arsenal only made a realistic approach for one player: Benjamin Sesko. They have retained an interest in the Slovenian, as he might be their top target for the future, although no move is expected in January.
Former Gunners man Ray Parlour, with his comments on Give Me Sport, has urged Arsenal to bring in a top-class striker in January to boost their title hopes.
When asked about Arsenal’s striker situation, Parlour said, “It’s always going to be what people bring up. “If Arsenal had Erling Haaland in their side, they would probably win the league. That’s how important number nines are.”
“I’m sure Mikel Arteta and Edu are scouring the world to try and find the right profile. Havertz has done an excellent job, to be fair. He’s fitted in pretty comfortably up there.
“I always played with good strikers. My team had Nwankwo Kanu, Sylvain Wiltord, Bergkamp – who was a number 10 but could still play centre forward – and Thierry Henry. Then you look further back to someone like Ian Wright. Arsenal have always had top-class strikers. That is the position they will be looking at strengthening.”
Arsenal are still interested in Alexander Isak, who was unavailable during the summer, although Newcastle United will continue to demand a considerable price tag. They are also keen on other names like Viktor Gyokeres, with the Gunners set to watch him more this season.
They are also reportedly preparing a fresh offer for Dusan Vlahoivic. However, the Serbian might continue to show loyalty to Juventus and could be open to signing a new deal there. Overall, the chances of Arsenal landing any of those names in January are slim to none, meaning any new striker will only arrive next summer.
