Arsenal have been linked with several centre-forwards as the summer transfer window falls inside the final two weeks. That said, it seems increasingly unlikely that a striker will indeed be signed as the clock ticks down.
A midfielder has been the priority and Mikel Merino appears to be the most likely candidate with the hope that an agreement could be found to complete the deal soon. If or when this happens, all the attention will again return to whether the club is successful in adding a forward player.
One of the biggest restrictions to Arsenal adding a forward has been the lack of obvious candidates. When looking at the record of Arsenal’s major investments under Mikel Arteta they have followed a very similar thread.
Declan Rice (£105million), Kai Havertz (£65million), Ben White (£50million) and Gabriel Jesus (£45million). All these players have a common theme, as do Leandro Trossard, Oleksandr Zinchenko, David Raya, Jorginho, Aaron Ramsdale, Cedric Soares and Willian – they all come from Premier League sides.
Arteta clearly appreciates the lack of a need to transition from a new league when signing players with experience in England’s top flight. Even Merino, who despite playing currently in La Liga, spent time with Newcastle several years ago.
Therefore when looking at the striker market, the Premier League has little to offer when it comes to options. Look at the Big Six right now and only Tottenham have signed strikers from fellow English clubs – Richarlison and Dominic Solanke.
