Mikel Arteta has ‘earmarked’ shock Arsenal player to rival Viktor Gyokeres

Add as preferred source on Google

There’s no question that Viktor Gyokeres will be Mikel Arteta’s first-choice striker this season, but who are Arsenal’s other options?

Last season presented quite the journey in the centre-forward role, as after Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus suffered injuries, Arteta ran out of options. 

The Arsenal manager found a worthy solution in a surprising place, plucking Mikel Merino from central midfield and deploying the Spaniard as a striker.

The gamble paid off, as Merino scored a brace against Leicester City in his first outing as a number nine, with the 28-year-old now offering himself as another option to rotate at the top. 

With Gyokeres on board, Merino is expected to shift to third in line behind the Swede and Havertz, with a spot below for Jesus once he returns from injury, but the quartet aren’t Arteta’s only options. 

Mikel Arteta sees Ethan Nwaneri’s potential as a striker

Gyokeres scored his first Arsenal goal in his first appearance at the Emirates, setting the tone ahead of his debut Premier League campaign. 

The Gunners’ number 14 is everything Arteta was pleading for in January, being a natural striker with quite the knack of scoring goals.

Pre-season was a time for fans to get their first glimpse of Gyokeres, but it was also a time that saw squad players shine, one of which being Ethan Nwaneri.

Interestingly, it’s Nwaneri whom Arteta is said to have ‘earmarked’ as an additional option in the number nine role within the Arsenal squad. 

When speaking on the Arseblog Arsecast Extra podcast, The Athletic’s James McNicholas drew attention to the teenager’s versatility.

“He said, I’m ready to play anywhere across the front five, which is interesting,” the host said.

“Yeah, including that number nine spot, which I know Mikel Arteta has kind of earmarked him for potentially in the future.”

While McNicholas celebrated how many strings Nwaneri has to his bow, the journalist doubled down on how impressive the 18-year-old was over pre-season in his favoured attacking midfield role.

“It’s great that he has that flexibility and versatility, but I’ve been really impressed by him in that Martin Odegaard position in pre-season.”

Nwaneri was dazzling in pre-season, showing a new level of confidence when playing in his most comfortable position, giving Arteta food for thought. 

Nwaneri’s record as a striker

Arteta will relish how versatile Nwaneri is, but will, like all of us, see how unplayable the Hale End graduate is as a number ten.

The playmaker has a real chance of battling Martin Odegaard over the next year, but there’s a good chance he’ll also feature in an array of other positions.

It’s clear to see why Arteta has faith in Nwaneri’s ability as a striker, as the teen has a remarkable scoring record when playing as a centre-forward.

In his career, Nwaneri has scored 11 goals in just nine appearances as a striker, showing his ruthless edge when given even half a chance.

The youngster’s main priority going into the new season will be to continue his development with the first team, where he’ll undoubtedly be granted countless opportunities.