Forget a striker, Arsenal need one transfer move desperately after Newcastle defeat

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Plenty of transfer talk surrounding Arsenal has been on the side’s inability to land a top striker for their ranks.

The Gunners have been chasing a centre-forward for some time, with their goal-scoring woes in some games underlining the need for such a switch.

As Arsenal fell to defeat at Newcastle, there was naturally plenty of discussion surrounding Alexander Isak – who has previously been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.

The Swedish international had run the usually solid backline ragged, putting in another Player of the Match shift as his side booked a place into the Carabao Cup final.

That has naturally put some focus back on striker troubles for Arsenal, but their biggest issue in the game didn’t surround centre-forwards.

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Arsenal need a midfielder transfer more than a striker after Newcastle display

It’s clear that Arsenal do need a striker, but it wasn’t a position that proved to be the difference between them and Newcastle on Wednesday evening.

Having Isak in red instead of black and white may not have changed anything going forward for the Gunners due to their build-up.

A lot of the issues the side faced weren’t in taking chances but simply in creating them to begin with in the deeper phases.

Newcastle’s aggressive man-to-man pressing in the midfield put strain on the ability of Thomas Partey and Declan Rice to receive the ball and move it forward.

The problems were most evident in the second goal of the second leg, where Fabian Schar managed to pinch the ball from Declan Rice on the edge of the box – with a poor pass made by David Raya.

The concerns were only emphasised when Martin Odegaard had to drop deep at times to control the tempo of the game, but that cannot be the long-term fix.

It shows the need for a deeper midfielder who is capable of receiving the ball on the half-turn and under pressure to create space for his teammates.

That profile of player would’ve helped Arsenal bypass the first line of pressure from Newcastle, opening up the game to more control from the away side.

Then, perhaps, if opportunities were missed, the conversation could flip to the need for a striker to join the ranks, but it wasn’t the reason for the loss at St. James’ Park.

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Martin Zubimendi to Arsenal transfer makes perfect sense

With Arsenal’s midfield woes quite clear, it makes a move for Martin Zubimendi fit into place quite nicely.

There was some confusion when news broke that Arsenal have a transfer for Zubimendi lined up for the summer, given the focus on landing new signings in January.

However, a move in the coming months for the Spaniard is likely to relieve a lot of those problems found in the central ranks.

Arsenal need someone in his profile who is press resistant, capable of controlling the game from the deeper areas to progress them up the pitch.

With an overhaul of sorts expected in the midfield, with Jorginho and Thomas Partey nearing the end of their contracts, it’s a deal that is desperately needed.