Mikel Arteta *surely* can’t put Arsenal trust in Eddie Nketiah for third January on the bounce

Mikel Arteta is yet to buy a goalscorer at Arsenal and despite calls yet again for one in January, he instead wants *another* winger. Eddie Nketiah is a lucky boy.

Looking back now, Arsenal fans are likely quite relieved they didn’t sign their striker targets in January 2022, but come May of that year, they really wished they had. In the race for the top four, it was the widely held view that Mikel Arteta needed a new striker to secure a Champions League qualification spot, with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah proving to be no goalscoring match for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who had been firmly frozen out.

Neither Dominic Calvert-Lewin nor Richarlison arrived (see – relieved), and even Dusan Vlahovic at £70m now feels like a bullet well dodged. But it cost them that season. Lacazette and Nketiah managed just six goals between them in the 19 games in the new year as Arsenal finished two points outside the top four.

They still managed to persuade Gabriel Jesus to join that summer and in the first few months of his Arsenal career, he could do no wrong. The Brazil international got five goals and four assists in his opening eight games, but more important than his numbers was his ability to tie things together for the Gunners at the top of the pitch, linking with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli and allowing Martin Odegaard to step forward. He was their best player in their greatest period under Arteta, before his injury at the World Cup in Qatar.

“We can get a striker I can guarantee you that,” Arteta said once it became clear that Jesus would be out for a significant period, before insisting “we don’t need a body”, in reference to them targeting quality over quantity.

Reports in January 2023 claimed Arteta and director Edu were admirers of Alexander Isak and Jonathan David, either of whom would have been welcome additions given what they’ve continued to achieve since. But again, no striker arrived, and again, Arteta put his trust in Nketiah.

And again, that trust was misplaced. After a goal in each of his first two starts after the resumption of Premier League football, Nketiah managed just two further goals as Arsenal’s title challenge fell apart.

We’re not suggesting the now 24-year-old wasn’t deserving of the new contract he was handed, by the way, just that he’s not equipped to lead the line as the first choice for the Premier League title winners. Surely, no-one would contend with that. He’s a perfectly serviceable backup striker.

The same can be said for Jesus, whose all-round displays have dipped to the extent where people are questioning his profligacy in front of goal. We probably wouldn’t have guessed that he’s scored fewer goals for Arteta than Nicolas Pepe, for example. And Kai Havertz – quite clearly bought to be moulded into a midfielder in any case, unsuccessful though that’s been so far – is even less likely to score goals that the other two, given what we saw of him at Chelsea.

So surely, SURELY, Arsenal and Arteta won’t make the same mistake thrice. They just might, y’know.

They’ve been heavily linked with Ivan Toney, who looks very likely to be on the move in January. Chelsea are also thought to be keen and he won’t come cheap- quality strikers are hard to come by and Brentford know it. But it’s not that Arsenal don’t have money to spend.

A report claims Arteta’s apparent obsession with Wolves’ Pedro Neto is hampering their chances of signing a striker. He’s a lovely footballer who’s having a great season, and Saka could do with a backup so that he’s not entirely f***ed by his 25th birthday, but Arsenal already have plenty of wingers, along with Havertz, who could slot perfectly well into that role from time to time. Or – even better – play Jesus on the right when you buy a p*ssing striker.

Neto would be another example of a marginal gain for Arsenal, when what they need – as is clear to apparently all but the people that matter – is a certain starter to sweep the three currently vying for a place up top from contention.

It’s about priorities, and Arteta is again getting them wrong. He’s spent over £500m at Arsenal and is yet to sign an out-an-out goalscorer, despite calls for one in every transfer window since it became clear Aubameyang had no future at the club. Even Pep Guardiola recognised that football is a helluva lot easier when you’ve got a guy who will score a goal a game.

Erling Haalands are in short supply, and Toney isn’t necessarily the answer, but Pedro Neto definitely isn’t.