Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal side have a huge few months ahead of them. Focus for the Spaniard will be honed in on securing a top four finish by the end of the season, bringing a return to the Champions League.
Following that will be a short break, but little time to rest for the Gunners staff tasked with preparing for the upcoming summer transfer market. While Champions League qualification could determine the quality of players the club can attract, one thing for certain is that a striker will be on the agenda.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaving for Barcelona in January and duo Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah set to leave as free agents, Arteta is left with few options upfront. Academy graduate Folarin Balogun is the only natural centre-forward option, while the manager has hinted that both Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli could play there in the future.
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Despite having the chance to sign a striker in the January window, Arsenal opted against it as the right option wasn’t available, opening up the summer as the time to find one. Back in February, talking about the lack of winter transfer action, Arteta said: “We did what we believed was the right thing to do. The squad composition and contracts were catching up, be fair with players who haven’t had a lot of minutes. We had a clear plan of what we can do but then it has to be doable.
“Edu and his team have done a great job. We are very clear we only want the best people and the best players at this club. When we are in a rush and the reasons to get a player on board are not the right ones, we didn’t do it.”
It clearly outlines the approach from Arsenal in their recruitment philosophy. They want signings, but they have to be the right fit.
This opens up questions over the right striker, with a number of options linked to the Emirates. One of which is Real Sociedad and Sweden striker Alexander Isak.
The 22-year-old has often impressed with the range in his skill set, with a reported £75million release clause in his contract. This may seem too much, however, there is a potential boost that could be handed to the Gunners yet.
Fichajes reports that should Real Sociedad miss out on European football, then Isak is one of four players likely to leave in the summer, with interest from the Premier League. The side currently sit sixth in La Liga, a Europa Conference League spot, just three points from dropping out of Europe altogether in the league.
The other thing to consider is if Arsenal do make the Champions League, while Sociedad play in a lower tier of Europe. It could allow them to tempt a move away, as the competition often attracts players who want to play on the big stage.
There’s still plenty of games left and for the Gunners, their focus should solely be on the top four, but any help in reaching their transfer goals for the summer would certainly help.
