Arsenal need a striker. Could they REALLY try to lure Watkins after he KO’d them?
TUCKED safely away in Edu’s back pocket is a list of names. An expensive menu of footballers who trade on goals and assists. Game-changers.
The Arsenal sporting director has been tasked with upgrading the team’s forward line for next season after Sunday’s 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa amplified their need to improve at the business end of the pitch.
Who they turn to, though, will depend on a number of variables.
Cost, inevitably, will be the most important factor. Proven attackers do not come cheap. But there is also a decision to be made on which type of forward manager Mikel Arteta will target.
For a while it looked certain Arsenal would seek a traditional centre forward in the mould of Brentford’s Ivan Toney. But more recently they have considered focusing on a more modern attacker, whose all-round game and versatility would mean he could play primarily as a lone striker but also out wide.
Discussions over how to proceed will accelerate in the coming weeks, particularly given the ongoing injury concerns of Gabriel Jesus. But as exciting as that may sound this process will likely
Elite clubs are no longer able to cherry-pick stars from smaller teams
leave Edu agitated, because the exercise of signing strikers is fast becoming one of the most laborious in football recruitment.
Speaking to Mail Sport, one Premier League sporting director highlighted the difficulties clubs are facing in recruiting up front.
He stresses that it is not only about cost, but also because there is a shortage of conventional No9s in Europe — a trend that stems from clubs moving towards possession-based philosophies within their academies, meaning coaches are no longer required to develop central strikers with the same urgency as in previous eras.
‘You never see two strikers playing in the same academy starting XI anymore,’ he said.
The focus has shifted towards developing footballers who are comfortable with the ball at their feet. Honing technical ability is the priority. Certain clubs are taking that remit so seriously they have reduced crossing sessions at academy level.
‘From Under 12s we don’t want them crossing and heading,’ the sporting director added. ‘Most teams across Europe play with a front three, so it’s now about those players averaging 40 goals (combined) per season — not your front two getting 20 each.’
It appears scoring goals is no longer enough. Perhaps Roy Keane was on to something when he compared Erling Haaland — who has plundered 83 goals in 91 appearances for Manchester City — to a League Two player. It also begs the question of where England turn when Harry Kane, arguably the best striker in Europe, calls time on his international career.
That problem is in the distant horizon but for Arsenal the issue is immediate. And, worryingly, there is no obvious answer.
For example, on Edu’s list is Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa, who excelled in the Gunners’ own back yard on Sunday. A proven Premier League operator, since Villa’s return to the top flight in 2020, Watkins has scored 59 league goals and provided 23 assists.
But identifying talent is the simple part. In a world where data is king, the players that best fit your team and budget are available to recruitment departments at the touch of a button. Clubs are scaling back traditional scouting networks and investing fortunes into analytics. Knowing which player to go for isn’t the issue for Edu and Arteta; the problem is extracting them from their clubs. Long gone are the days when elite clubs were able to cherrypick from smaller teams. Take Watkins for example; you can imagine Villa’s response to an approach from Arsenal. England international. Four years left on his contract. All that, plus the fact Villa are among the most financially sound clubs in the Premier League. Even if there were a fee for which Villa would sell, the fact Watkins turns 29 in December is another obstacle. If Arsenal sold Watkins in future there could be little return on a financial outlay that would likely exceed £70m. Similarly, any bid to lure Alexander Isak from Newcastle would likely prove as arduous and costly — though at 24 his signing would provide greater resale value.
Attacking players have always come at a premium but that expense is inflating at a rapid rate, particularly with well-run clubs who have little temptation to part with their crown jewels. The fact transfers have to make sense on the balance sheet is a further complication.
So where does that leave Arsenal’s search for a striker?
Like the rest of Europe, they have admired the performances of Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, 25, this season. But the Sweden international (left), who has scored 36 goals and supplied 16 assists, has a release clause of £86m, a princely sum for a player who was in the Championship last season at Coventry.
Whether it is worth moving for a striker such as Gyokeres, Toney or Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee, 22, depends on what kind of forward Arsenal decide they want. The recent emergence of Kai Havertz in the lone striker role may impact how the club enter the market.
It is pertinent to add that their interest in Toney is believed to have cooled. Like Watkins, the fact Toney is 28 is a consideration, but regardless of age Havertz’s displays have forced a rethink.
Invariably, though, it is the price that has to be right — particularly with the club eager to strengthen in other areas. Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, for instance, has strong support in Arsenal’s recruitment team but would cost around £50m.
The signing of a new full back will depend on how Arteta views Oleksandr Zinchenko’s long-term future. The Ukraine international has had a difficult season and Jakub Kiwior’s improvement has added competition at left back.
The long-awaited return of Jurrien Timber from a knee injury could push Zinchenko further down the pecking order.
Either way, there is no doubting where Arsenal’s priorities lie this summer and that is up front. Executing, though, is far easier said than done.