Six unlikely Arsenal striker crisis saviours include boring option Trossard and centre-midfielder

Does anyone think it might have been a wise idea for Arsenal to sign a striker in January or beforehand?

The Gunners were up sh*t creek with Kai Havertz as their only fit and *somewhat* natural centre-forward after Gabriel Jesus suffered his season-ending injury, but the Germany international’s untimely hamstring tear has taken their paddle too.

Arsenal’s negligence in the transfer market leaves Mikel Arteta without an obvious solution to save their striking department, which was floundering before an injury crisis derailed the season even more.

Their increased state of desperation was evident in January’s panic bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins with top targets Benjamin Sesko and Alexander Isak unattainable in the winter, while they could be rueing their failure to land Alvaro Morata in a last-gasp deal.

The transfer window may have *slammed* shut, but a few uninspiring free agents are available as a short-term fix; one such dream signing (for neutrals, anyway) will be mentioned below.

This free transfer, plus five players already contracted to Arsenal, could be potential saviours, though they are unlikely to have the desired impact on their Premier League title challenge as Liverpool’s seemingly imminent dip will seemingly go unpunished.

Leandro Trossard
The option most likely to be leant on by Arteta, Trossard at least has a little experience playing as a solo No.9, with 39 of his 325 senior appearances coming as a centre-forward (according to transfermarkt). Not a lot, but it’s something.

His only appearance as a solo striker in this campaign came against Girona in the Champions League, a game in which he contributed an assist.

Trossard has been a positive signing for Arsenal (especially considering his cut-price fee) and they benefitted from being spurned in the transfer love triangle involving Chelsea and Mykhaylo Mudryk.

But – like most of Arteta’s attackers – his output has dipped this season after he often previously delivered in clutch moments for the Gunners. They need him to step up now more than ever.

READ: How Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle could suffer their own Spurs-style season implosion

Raheem Sterling
Speaking of attackers needing to step up, Sterling has a vital few months coming up as he tries to give himself any hope of remaining a Big Six player next season.

With the dream summer signing of Nico Williams not coming off (until now, perhaps), Sterling felt a half-decent alternative to provide competition for Bukayo Saka this season after it seemed the Chelsea circus prevented him from showing a true reflection of his capabilities.

A feel-good reunion with Arteta appeared the perfect fit, but it’s been sad to discover that the declining England international’s best days are behind him as he’s not done anywhere near enough when given the opportunity.

Most of Sterling’s experience as a No.9 came at Man City during the pre-Erling Haaland era when Pep Guardiola didn’t bother with a proper striker. Arsenal need him to rediscover his 2017-2020 form during the run-in, which they surely have no hope of happening.

Ethan Nwaneri
The 17-year-old and fellow teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly have been shining lights for Arsenal in a weirdly fraught season and they have huge futures ahead of them.

Still, this is not to say he should be playing week in and week out for Arsenal, especially amidst the backdrop of a Premier League title race.

Arteta would likely prefer to rotate Nwaneri (and Lewis-Skelly), but the Arsenal boss does not have that luxury as injuries will force him to overuse his young talents in the final months of this season.

Nwaneri could be a left-field option for a false nine role if Trossard and/or Sterling struggle in that slot, but the teenager is more likely to be used wide or in attacking midfield while Saka and Gabriel Martinelli recover from their respective injury issues.

MORE ARSENAL STRIKER CRISIS COVERAGE…
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Mikel Merino
Arsenal’s crisis means Arteta has no choice but to think out of the box with his team selection for upcoming matches and summer signing Merino is reportedly being ‘considered’ as the ‘most unexpected option’.

Some Arsenal supporters could despair at this idea, but you can see the rationale for playing Merino in a position he’s never operated before; his physical and aerial presence could give the Gunners a focal point.

The possible fill-in Arsenal striker has been already likened to Marouane Fellaini, while Arteta alternatively could move his most threatening attacking player, Gabriel Magalhaes, from centre-back to centre-forward.

Each player has an eye for goal, but their lack of positional awareness could ensure this experiment does more harm than good. Still, much fun would be had by seeing this bound-to-fail experiment in practice.

READ: Liverpool knocked off the top of Premier League mood rankings

Nathan Butler-Oyedeji
Who, I hear you ask?

Well, Butler-Oyedeji has been left in the dust by the cream of the crop from Arsenal’s academy, but he gets a mention because he’s a striker in the actual real world.

Aged 22, Butler-Oyedeji is surely nearing the end of his tether at Arsenal and must show something sharpish if he wants to avoid being released this summer or shortly after.

His fine form in Premier League 2 (six goals and five assists in seven matches) earned him his senior Arsenal debut in the briefest of cameos against Dinamo Zagreb in January; their injury woes could ensure he gets more of a look in. But his recent goalless loans in 25 appearances at Cheltenham Town and Accrington Stanley suggest he’s far off the level craved by his boyhood club.

Diego Costa
Please let this happen…

Costa, 36, scored four goals (and got booked three times, obviously) in seven matches vs Arsenal and the Premier League is a better place with his lunacy in the frame.

He looked past it at Wolves in 2022/23, but who cares about minor details like that? Cometh the hour, cometh The Beast to save Arsenal’s season in a new last dance story that would be far more headline-grabbing than the original.