Arsenal face the prospect of 1 other season without a first-rate trophy, and Mikel Arteta could well also wish to search for a brand fresh striker to shut the gap to champions Liverpool.
Former Premier League striker Jermain Defoe has completely told Sports Mole that Arsenal have to build the entirety they might be able to to elevate in Alexander Isak.
The Gunners were beaten 1-0 by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening and despite producing fair correct opportunities in entrance of aim, they failed to convert and scored one or fewer targets for the seventh time in 14 games.
Kai Havertz has been primarily dilapidated by boss Mikel Arteta as the group’s striker, however the German has usually been criticised for his performances up entrance.
When asked about seemingly striker targets for Arsenal, Defoe spoke extremely of Newcastle United’s Isak but puzzled if he would even be readily accessible in the summer when he told Sports Mole: “I don’t know if he is received an option to toddle to, I factual don’t know. Obviously whilst you occur to could well even be Arsenal, you’d cherish to earn him in the constructing as a end result of he is one among the ultimate at the minute.
“He’s shown that at Newcastle – he scores consistently, even when he played against [the likes of] Gabriel and Saliba. Two amazing centre-backs and he gave them problems, so he’s one of the best in the Premier League and I can imagine they would love to have him there.”
Isak’s tally of twenty-two Premier League targets is ultimate second to Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and is 13 bigger than Havertz has managed, even though it wants to be pointed out that the Magpies attacker has performed roughly 600 minutes bigger than the Arsenal striker.
Would Arsenal have won the title with a striker?
Arsenal tried to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa unhurried in the January switch window but they failed to meet Villa’s demands, and there might maybe be an argument that now not signing an attacker price the Gunners the likelihood of Premier League glory.
Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli all suffered accidents from December onwards, with the first three missing major durations of the season.
Talking to Sports Mole, Defoe insisted that Arsenal would had been in a area to pose more of a challenge to Liverpool had they reinforced up entrance, asserting: “They’d had been nearer as a end result of I build feel from time to time the number 9 can build the adaptation [if they had] someone admire an Isak for occasion.
“I know he was obviously linked with Arsenal, and he’s been linked with Liverpool – those sorts of players are the ones when games are tight, they’re the ones that can make a difference in the game and get you over the line.”
Arsenal have scored 63 Premier League targets this time frame, a tally that’s 17 fewer than champions Liverpool and is currently 28 fewer than they managed in 2023-24.
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Is the criticism of Havertz harsh?
When Havertz was signed by Arteta in the summer of 2023 from Chelsea, he was utilised in midfield loads of times by the Gunners boss before he in the extinguish was relied on up entrance.
Prior to his switch to Chelsea, many had regarded as him as more of a secondary striker, able to taking half in alongside a first-rate goalscorer.
Defoe was keen to point out that Havertz has performed admirably despite now not taking half in in his most efficient assign, telling Sports Mole: “There’s been talks for years now, Arsenal want to sign a forward, they want their number 9. With Havertz, the followers are now not overjoyed even supposing he is executed nicely taken with he is now not a number 9 and he is had to play in that assign and he is still managed to rating targets.
“But of course the Arsenal fans are craving a number nine, and there’s not many number nines out there compared to years ago, there’s not many to choose from. I do believe if they had that number nine they would have been a lot closer to Liverpool.”
Arsenal have additionally been strongly linked to Carrying Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres, and although Havertz has from time to time confirmed promise, he appears to be like to be like sure to get replaced in the starting lineup in the upcoming switch window.
Jermain Defoe was speaking to Sports Mole courtesy of bet365’s fresh Sub On, Play On product.
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