With Kai Havertz already having his best goalscoring season in the Premier League in his debut campaign with Arsenal, perhaps the need for a striker is no longer so pressing for the Gunners in the next transfer window.
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Before joining Arsenal, the narrative surrounding the German attacker could be described as polarising. Although it was his goal that won Chelsea the UEFA Champions League final in the 2020/21 season, it felt as though there was little improvement the Aachen native had made since joining the Blues from Bayer Leverkusen.
There were thus mixed reactions when the north Londoners, coming off the back of a Premier League title charge last season, decided to spend €75 million (R1.5 billion) to secure his services. The naysayers would be given further ammunition to blast the 24-year-old as he started the 2023/24 season with some erratic form.
Prior to the season's commencement, manager Mikel Arteta had alluded to utilising the Germany international in an advanced midfield position, and he stayed true to that to begin Havertz's Arsenal career. However, after Gabriel Jesus was ruled out with a knee injury at the beginning of 2024, the knock necessitated that Havertz become the team's new centre-forward. He has seemingly had a new lease of life since undertaking the role, and has five goals and four assists in his past seven league matches.
This takes his goalscoring tally in the league to nine, making it his most prolific season in the English top flight since arriving from the BayArena.
As he adjusts to his new role and becomes better in it, coupled with the goals Arteta receives from his wingers in Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, perhaps the need for a striker is no longer so pressing for the club. A world-class out-and-out forward is something many feel the 13-time English champions need, but with Havertz performing as well as he is, perhaps they can focus on spending heavily in other areas of the pitch instead.
Saka has no real competition on the right wing, with Reiss Nelson only starting his first game in the Premier League since 2020, when he was named in the starting XI against Liverpool, against Luton Town earlier this month. The need for competition on that side of the pitch is necessary because as good as Saka is, playing him in every game is detrimental to his long-term development.
A striker should still be looked at, but perhaps not an established name like Victor Osimhen or Ivan Toney, maybe a budding young talent who can be nurtured by the Spaniard.
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Another area of the pitch that could be looked at is central defensive midfield. It seems the San Sebastian tactician sees Declan Rice just as much as an attacking threat as he does a defensive stopper, and with Thomas Partey and Jorginho both on the wrong side of 30, reinforcements in that position may worth spending big on.
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