Everyone knew Arsenal needed to sign a new striker last summer in order to finally get over the championship hump in the Premier League, but apparently the Gunners themselves were the only ones who didn’t get the memo.
And now without a reliable goal-scorer through the middle to support Bukayo Saka’s Premier League Player of the Season-caliber efforts, Arsenal have slipped even further in the title race despite a season-ending injury to Manchester City’s Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.
Instead, Liverpool have stepped up to fill the void, while Arsenal watch as Kai Havertz regresses to the mean after a fool’s gold hot streak of goals. Erling Haaland’s record-breaking scoring exploits have long been the difference between Man City and Arsenal in the title race, and yet Arsenal remained complacent in the summer with only veteran backup Raheem Sterling joining the team’s ailing attack.
There can be no excuses going forward, and after missing out on Benjamin Sesko this past summer, Arsenal must go for him and another top young talent at the striker position.
Viktor Gyokeres did what so many Arsenal forward have failed to do, and that is score a hat trick against Manchester City. The Sporting CP striker was already on Arsenal’s radar, and with 16 goals in 10 games, he’s making Mikel Arteta and friends badly regret the decision not to sign him.
According to a report from The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath and Gideon Brooks, Sporting CP will make Gyokeres available for a mere 63 million pounds, which is 20 million pounds below his release clause.
That’s an excellent fee for a striker who is in the prime of his career and has played better than anyone at the position not named Robert Lewandowski so far in the 2024/25 season.
But Arsenal must be careful and realize they need to push harder than ever for Gyokeres if they want the potentially title-changing striker. That’s because Chelsea are still in the mix for him, and now Manchester United are emerging with his former Sporting manager Ruben Amorim as a key difference-maker in the transfer battle.
Gyokeres or Sesko should have joined Arsenal this past summer. And now, with Gyokeres at a reduced price as Sporting allow him to pursue elite Premier League football, the Gunners have absolutely no excuse for sitting idly by and watching a considerable striker upgrade walk to another Premiership side.
