Mikel Arteta has now made a decision about his striker contingent at Arsenal.
Arsenal have been linked with a number of strikers throughout the January transfer window so far.
The Gunners have been credited with a keen interest in Ivan Toney. Dominic Solanke has also been talked up as a potential target. A surprise move for former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema has also been mooted, amongst many other names.
However, it has proven impossible for the north London club to get any business done so far this month. A lack of transfer funds is a huge problem, preventing Arsenal from bringing any new signings into the club.
However, it now seems that Mikel Arteta is happy to work with the strikers he already has at his disposal at the Emirates Stadium.
According to journalist Alex Crook, speaking to GiveMeSport, Arteta has a plan in place to make the most out of the club’s existing striker options. The reporter said, “there’s been a lot of outside noise about a striker, but my sources at Arsenal always made it clear that they’re quite happy with Jesus and Eddie Nketiah. Maybe the latter might get more minutes in the second half of the season. They’d like a midfielder if they could bring one in, but it’s very quiet at the moment.”
Mikel Arteta plan to push Eddie Nketiah into Arsenal spotlight
Gabriel Jesus has had a disappointing campaign so far. His return of just three Premier League strikes has simply not been good enough. The Brazilian has publicly admitted that goalscoring is not his greatest strength, but that does not change the fact that Arteta needs more from the former Manchester City man.
Eddie Nketiah has also struggled to shine consistently. The Hale End academy graduate has made 20 appearances in the top flight, of which 10 have come as part of the starting XI. From those outings he has contributed 5 goals and 4 assists. However, three of those strikes came in one match, as the 24-year-old recorded his maiden Premier League hat-trick against Sheffield United back in October. He has not scored in his 10 appearances in the competition since then.
Nketiah has come in for plenty of criticism, and has even been branded as “anonymous” in some matches, as few seem to believe that the once-capped England man has what it takes to fire Arsenal to a Premier League title triumph. It would seem, though, that Arteta still has great faith in the player.
The second half of this season would be a great time for Nketiah to step up and prove his doubters wrong. It would seem that Arteta plans to afford him the opportunity to do exactly that.
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