Revealed: Arteta’s new striker hitlist as Arsenal seek to add ‘physical’ dimension

Having shored up the midfield in the summer transfer window, Arsenal’s priority will turn to the frontline where Mikel Arteta will be seeking alternatives to Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus.

Arsenal’s focus in the summer, potentially January depending on how the season’s going, will certainly be a striker. It just makes sense, when you look at the squad at the moment, bringing in another option up front.

Mikel Arteta is very keen on adding versatility to his squad and having different options available to him. In that striker position he only has a couple – Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus – and they’re similar players.

It wouldn’t surprise me if we see Arsenal bring in a more physical option as a central striker in the summer or potentially January.

SQUAD BUILDING

Arsenal, Arteta and Edu have been carefully building the squad and there was a lot of focus on midfield this summer – with the addition in defence as well with Timber coming in to add versatility there – but nothing really happened in terms of the forward department.

If they do another huge deal, a Declan Rice-type deal, I imagine that the striker department will be the one that they funnel the money towards.

OSIMHEN TALKS

Victor Osimhen, his agent’s been over at the training ground. They’ve had talks – not recently – but he was on the agenda.

In the summer when Arsenal were trying to sign Gabriel Jesus, talks were held regarding that possibility. He will be on the list still just because of how good he is.

And if you’re looking for strikers, come next summer, Osimhen is going to be at the top of pretty much everyone’s list because of what he’s done in Italy but he’s going to cost an awful lot of money.

He’s about to sign that new contract with Napoli; I presume there’s some sort of agreement in that new contract that he will be able to go if a certain fee is met, but that is going to be a very, very big fee. So we shall see.

TONEY TAKES ARSENAL TO ANOTHER LEVEL

Ivan Toney is another player who would fit Arsenal really, really well. I look at Ivan Toney as a potential January option.

If you’re in and around the title race, and you’ve got the opportunity to move for someone like Toney for the second half of the season, who will come back very hungry and determined to prove a point, that could really do wonders in getting you over the line.

He’d be perfect for Arsenal. Technically he’s very good. He’s really, really strong. I’ve never seen anyone trouble William Saliba as much in my life as Ivan Toney did in the game at the Emirates last season.

It was an amazing individual performance from him. He could really take them to another level and get them even closer to Manchester City.

GAME CHANGERS

Those two are the ones that you would be looking at as potential game changers. The scouting department has got a lot of other names on the list that they have been carefully looking at.

There’s definitely been interest in Osimhen in the past while Arteta and Edu have been there. It doesn’t predate those two; it’s while they were there. So I would certainly expect he will still be on the list.

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