September 24th 2023.
Gary Neville believes Arsenal need to recruit a new striker if they are to have any chance of closing the gap to Manchester City and challenging for the Premier League title.
Speaking on his podcast, Neville said, "You've got to have a couple of players in your team, at least one, who have that smell of where the ball is going to land. We're not in the days of poachers anymore and Arsenal don't have that type of player."
According to Neville, Arsenal need a striker who can make runs across the defence and anticipate where the ball will land, in order to give them an edge that they've been lacking. He added, "When you think of the forward lines we've seen at Barcelona with David Villa, Pedro and Lionel Messi all those years ago - none of them are real strikers as in goal-sniffers. Sergio Aguero was, but we're not even talking about that. We're talking about someone who knows where to be."
Neville highlighted the importance of a striker that can anticipate where the ball will end up by using the example of Ian Wright. He said, "I used to mark Ian Wright at corners and he was a nightmare - he would always peel around to the back post to make sure if the ball gets glanced on, which it does, that you're there. That's the kind of movement Arsenal need."
The Gunners currently have Gabriel Jesus as their main striker with Eddie Nketiah usually operating as a back-up option, while Leandro Trossard can also be deployed as a centre-forward. However, with Folarin Balogun sold this summer and recent signing Kai Havertz being moulded into a midfield player, it's clear that Arsenal need to bring in a new forward option soon.
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