INJURIES have forced Arsenal to play Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker, adding fuel to the fire around their lack of signings.
However, even if Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz had not been injured the Gunners would still be lacking in firepower.
Mikel Arteta is desperately searching to find the next great goalscorer[/caption]
Even with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus available the Gunners lacked some punch[/caption]
Neither Jesus or Havertz completely fit the profile for the position Arteta wants to lead the line of his team in dropping deep or running into the channels.
Modern football’s development in recent seasons means strikers need to be capable of breaking a game open on their own.
They are athletic, strong and capable of playing on the last line and threatening to attack space behind the defensive line.
Arsenal‘s issue is every top club appears to be in a similar situation as they search for the next great goalscorer; there simply are not enough top strikers to go around at the moment.
Newcastle ace Alexander Isak would have been the natural top target, but last weekend’s Carabao Cup final win means the Swede is now unobtainable.
We take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the strikers that Arsenal will be considering this summer.
Viktor Gyokeres – Sporting Lisbon and Sweden
Victor Gyokeres is one of Europe’s top strikers[/caption]
The first name on the list is a striker who Arsenal have been linked with several times in recent seasons, 26-year-old Victor Gyokeres.
The Swedish ace has been one of Europe’s top strikers in the last two seasons, hitting 50 goal contributions in 41 games this season after his 58-goal contribution tally at club level last season.
Join SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plus
in-depth coverage and exclusives from The Emirates
Rightfully so, the former Coventry star is being billed up for a possible transfer fee of £83million.
He already has experience in English football with Brighton and Coventry, contributing to 60 goals or assists in 116 games for the Sky Blues, while he scored just one for the Seagulls.
Gyokeres is far beyond the level of the Portuguese top-flight and his ability to score goals from a variety of positions and situations have really stood out for Sporting.
His biggest strength comes in his ability to lead the line and to attack in moments of transition, working the channels effectively and gathering loose balls.
Meanwhile, his strength and athleticism means he can drive through the final third towards the opposition area to create danger – a quality Arsenal are missing in their squad.
However, there are genuine questions about how effective a striker like Gyokeres would be with a team that is more possession-dominant.
His technical level when receiving in tight areas and when under pressure on his touch can be slightly loose.
There is no doubt that he is better when he has space to attack as opposed to when he is trying to unlock a deeper defensive block.
Victor Osimhen – Galatasary and Nigeria
Victor Osimhen is itching for a transfer[/caption]
Victor Osimhen, 26, is a very experienced Nigeria international with 39 caps and 23 goals at senior international level as well as stellar at club level with 166 goal contributions across 253 games.
His time at Napoli, which of course culminated in the club’s first Serie A win since Diego Maradona, looks to have come to a difficult end with Osimhen ending up on loan to Galatasaray.
This season alone he has scored 26 goals and added five assists in 30 games in all competitions, including six goals in seven matches in the Europa League.
He has clear similarities with Gyokeres in terms of profile, with both being strong and athletic strikers who are adept at playing on the last line and disrupting opposition defensive lines.
But while Gyokeres excels when he has space to attack, Osimhen is more effective in tight spaces looking to receive and break down a deeper defensive block.
Osimhen is extremely powerful with the ability to receive under pressure and create chances for himself with creative touches and movements to create separation for himself.
These qualities give weight to his £62m price tag despite having just one year left on his contract with parent club Napoli, and he is the exact type of striker Arsenal should be looking for.
The biggest area of weakness for Osimhen comes in his out-of-possession work, with him being far from a monster in that respect.
Hugo Ekitike – Eintracht Frankfurt and France
Hugo Ekitike looks set to be the next big money striker to be sold by Frankfurt[/caption]
Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga have developed something of a reputation as a finishing school for strikers with several players being sold for big money.
The France Under-21 international Hugo Ekitike, 22, appears to be the latest gem on that conveyor belt, with an estimated potential fee of £67m.
Ekitike has scored 19 goals in 38 matches in all competitions so far this season, having moved to Frankfurt last summer from Paris Saint-Germain in France.
The 22-year-old is extremely similar to Isak in that he is comfortable in a variety of situations.
He can receive back to goal in deeper areas and link the play and he is comfortable in the channels.
Crucially, however, he is strong when receiving on the last line with the ability to make space for himself and to get shots away.
At the moment the biggest area of development that Ekitike has is improving his consistency and decision making in the final third.
He is obviously younger than both Gyokeres and Osimhen with more development to come from him, but it can be argued Arsenal need a ready-made forward sooner rather than later.
Benjamin Sesko – RB Leipzig and Slovenia
Arsenal have already been linked with Benjamin Sesko[/caption]
The fact Arsenal need a striker has been common knowledge for some time now and as such there have been players who have been consistently linked to a move to the club.
One of those is the 21-year-old RB Leipzig and Slovenia star Benjamin Sesko.
The Gunners were rumoured to be interested in the striker both in the summer and in the winter transfer window, although Sesko was keen to see the season out in Germany.
So far this season Sesko has scored 17 goals in 36 games including four goals in eight Champions League games.
Sesko is tall, powerful and fast and he combined the ability to play in space and transition with the ability to play on the highest line and to receive the ball with back to goal.
There is no doubt that his biggest strength as a striker though comes through his ball striking and the power that he can generate from shots.
Sesko’s biggest area of development is his technical ability, patience and consistency when he receives the ball.
At the moment there is still a sense with him that he has a tendency to try to force the game too aggressively as opposed to being more composed and calm in possession of the ball.
Sehrou Guirassy – Borussia Dortmund and Guinea
Sehrou Guirassy’s form has exploded in the last two seasons[/caption]
The next player we have shortlisted is 29-year-old Sehrou Guirassy of Borussia Dortmunda and Guinea, who could cost as much as £40m.
After a slightly slower start to his career Guirassy exploded last season while at VfB Stuttgart before making a move across Germany to sign for Dortmund.
Guirassy has scored 24 goals in 36 matches this season including 10 goals in 12 Champions League appearances.
It would be fair to say Guirassy is very much a last-line striker, and there is no doubt he would improve Arsenal’s forward play with his ability to play high and receive the ball under pressure.
He has impressed in recent seasons with his ability to get on the ball and create space and angles to get shots away around the penalty area.
His movement and ability to get little pockets of separation from defenders help him to create shooting opportunities.
Despite the impressive performances that we have seen from Guirassy in recent seasons there is still some doubt as to his ability to perform at the highest level.
Does he have the ability to play with his back to goal and then to attack space against the more athletic profiles of defenders in the Premier League?
Samu (Omorodion) Aghehowa – Porto and Spain
Samu Aghehowa has already been linked with a top Premier League move[/caption]
The rise of Samu Aghehowa, also known as Omorodion, to this point has been nothing short of spectacular.
From playing in the fourth tier of Spanish football just two seasons ago to being recognised as one of the most promising young strikers in European football.
The young striker moved initially to Atletico Madrid having just broken into the first team at Granada, leading to heavy links with Chelsea before he moved to join Porto.
So far this season he has scored 20 goals in 34 games this season with six goals in nine games in the Europa League.
Aghehowa, 20, is extremely powerful and he is at his best in the final third and around the opposition penalty area.
He is very strong when it comes to attacking the ball in the air and he routinely displays the ability to dominate opposition defenders from crosses or high balls into the area.
Rated at potentially £84m, he can also shield the ball and bring others into the game as his team attacks.
At the moment Aghehowa still has to refine and improve his technical level.
He needs to improve his ability to receive and outplay defenders and add more to his game in terms of his passing when he comes into deeper positions.
Liam Delap – Ipswich and England
Liam Delap has had a solid season despite his team’s looming threat of relegation[/caption]
It would be fair to say the performances of Liam Delap have been one of the real highlights of Ipswich’s first season back in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old, England Under-21 star is a product of the youth academy at Manchester City but moved to Ipswich on a permanent deal last summer.
He is another striker who has real power and pace with the ability to stretch the game and provide threat with his off-ball movement to attack space around the final third.
So far this season he has scored 10 goals in 31 matches, a strong return for a team facing relegation from the Premier League this season.
Delap has the ideal profile for a modern striker.
He has the frame to attack with real power and he is quick when he gets into stride and can run to attack space in advanced areas.
As a striker he can carry the ball over longer distances and drive past opposition players with real pace and power.
He still needs to develop his consistency and at the moment it is unclear whether he would be as effective when playing against a team who sit in a deeper and more compact defensive block or for a team that are more possession-dominant.
Conclusion
There are several players who are options for Arsenal going forward as they look to add a striker to their current squad.
The issue is that there will be significant competition for any of the seven players that we have discussed in this article.
Arsenal will have to be aggressive in terms of securing the right target.
Given the position Arsenal are in they need to add a proven winner and goalscorer who can give them the edge and help them to win the Premier League.
While there is every chance that a forward like Ekitike would thrive at Premier League level, we believe Osimhen is the striker who would have the biggest impact next season for Arteta’s side.
His experience of leading Napoli to the Serie A title just a couple of seasons ago and the fact Napoli would be very keen to do a deal. are key factors.
The fact he is not a pressing monster can be worked around, as we saw in his time at Napoli under Spalletti.
Two seasons ago, he was the man who led the press for Napoli, and there is no reason why he cannot do it again.
This tactical approach is something that Arteta could easily replicate given the nature of the players that would be either side of Oshimen.
And his attacking prowess at both holding the ball up and also stretching that last line of defence make him a very interesting match for Arsenal.
We reckon Osimhen would be the perfect fit for Arsenal’s striker problem[/caption]
