Arsenal's striker conundrum: Will anyone be able to replace Havertz in Arteta's system despite his flaws?
- Mayank Srivastava
- Feb 4
- 2 min read
Arsenal's striker problem will continue to bother Mikel Arteta for the remainder of the season as well, with the club failing to sign a No. 9 in the winter transfer window.
The Gunners did make several attempts to try and sign a world-class striker in the window.
The list of their failed attempts includes Benjamin Šeško, Alexander Isak, and most notably Ollie Watkins, for whom they even made a bid, which was worth €65 million.
Aston Villa , however, rejected Arsenal's bid for their star player, with the striker also later informing the club of his decision to stay put at least till the end of the current season.
However, Watkins' failed signing might come as a blessing in disguise for Mikel Arteta for now, as the striker conundrum that he might face in the future seems more complex and deep than problem that he is facing now.
A major dilemma up ahead for Mikel Arteta regarding Kai Havertz
It seems clear that Arsenal need a reliable and consistent goal-scorer to challenge for titles, someone who can score 20+ goals in a season.
Both of Arsenal's current strikers, Jesus and Havertz, possess a common major flaw, which is inefficiency in front of the goal.
However, Mikel Arteta's system demands a No. 9 who can move through the spaces and get involved in the build-up play as well.
Currently, both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus fulfil these criteria, with Havertz's involvement being a very crucial part of Arteta's system.
The German’s impact has been quite notable since his arrival at the club. While he hasn't been the most efficient in front of the goal, he still has been significantly involved in the goals for the Gunners, registering a G/A of 20 in just 33 appearances so far this season.
Therefore, replacing Havertz with any striker would be a challenging task for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, as they aim to complete a major striker signing in the summer.
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