Arsenal have been urged to make one more signing this summer, despite deals for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber expected to be announced imminently.
The Gunners are spending a combined fee of £145million on the West Ham captain and Ajax starlet, which takes their overall spending this summer to more than £200m already after wrapping up a £65m switch for ex- Chelsea ace Kai Havertz earlier on in the window. As of yet, the former Blues talent is the only attacking addition Mikel Arteta has made in the red half of north London.
Former Manchester United defender and prominent pundit Rio Ferdinand has insisted that another attacker needs to be signed before the Gunners can deem this summer spending spree as a success.
The former Old Trafford hero made the claim while he was discussing the deal for Timber on his ‘Vibe With Five’ YouTube show, explaining that Arteta may want another attacker to ease the burden on Arsenal's poster boy Bukayo Saka.
"I still think maybe you need one more, an attacking player, to cover those positions, especially the wide areas," Ferdinand declared.
"Kai Havertz maybe could dovetail out there at times, but I think you still need one. I think you can’t afford to let Bukayo Saka play another full season not missing any games.
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"He may have missed one or two here and there, but he played too many games last season for a young kid, he’s going to burn out. I think you need to save him a little bit and have moments where you pull him out of the team and there won’t be a big drop-off in output."
It is undeniable that Saka was worked to the bone last term, featuring in every single Premier League game which Arsenal played. The 21-year-old made history, as he became the first outfield Gunners player to star in every leaugue game in two consecutive seasons since Lee Dixon in the early 1990's.
Given the gruelling demands of Premier League football nowadays, the idea of Saka repeating that feat to make it three times in a row is not something that should excite Arteta.
The Arsenal boss has previously gone on the record to state how the world's best players often play three times a week, but to do so at the rate Saka is currently could lead to serious burn-out.
The Gunners have previously been linked with back-up right-sided forwards to deputise for Saka, but not as much this summer, suggesting it is no longer a priority in the eyes of Arteta.
However, that could be a risky game to play next term, particularly at the sharp end of the season as Arsenal hope to go one better than last season's title capitulation and end Manchester City's reign of dominance to win the league.
