It was a matter of time before injuries following the 2022 World Cup started to take their toll as the tournament is coming to an end, and the current Premier League leaders find themselves in a very serious predicament. Last Week, Arsenal received the news that star striker Gabriel Jesus suffered a knee injury on Brazil’s camp at Qatar. Jesus couldn’t even play in Brazil’s crucial quarterfinal match against Croatia, as he had to return to London right away for further evaluation, and undergo the medical procedure. Jesus’ surgery went well, and he is expected to make a full recovery, but he will miss at least the next three months of activity. The Gunners will kick-off in a few days the second half of an amazing season, and will be once again making a run for the title, so its imperative Mikel Arteta and Edu make some moves.
Attack Lacks Depth
Since the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, it was more than clear that the Gunners main struggles was squad depth, after key injuries in the last stretch of the season cost them a top four finish. This issue was addressed (barely) on the summer, but once again, Arsenal will find themselves struggling in the depth chart. No one really expected the North London side to be top of the league by mid season, and this may be a golden opportunity for Arteta to make a title run, and why not, bring the Premier Trophy back to London once again.
The area that needs attention right away is the attack, since Jesus was a crucial piece to this offence, and behind him there is just one senior player to cover the striker position: Eddie Nketiah. As of today, its unclear if Nketiah can fill the void left by Jesus, but even if he can provide the back up the Gunners desperately need, there is no way he can take on the role by himself, as Arsenal will be playing Premier League, FA Cup, and Europa League.
Current Rumours
Arsenal has been linked to numerous players, but only a couple stand out as serious possibilities to sign for the Gunners. The striker that can probably make a move soon is Portuguese young forward, Joao Felix. The current Atletico Madrid player is believed to want out of his team, and his profile fits pretty well by his age, and talents. Felix can actually be a pretty good replacement for Jesus, and even though he is not a ‘number 9’ type of striker, Arteta can probably make him fit his system perfectly. But on the downside, he may come at a very high price, and even though he is still young (23), the Portuguese striker has failed to prove his worth since his arrival at Atletico Madrid. The real question is, can he reach his full potential under Mikel Arteta?
The other rumour that has been swirling around constantly in London Colney is the one of Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk. This move could prove to be trickier, since his price tag is also believed to be very high, so it may be unlikely for the Gunners to break the bank on both Felix and Mudryk. Even though Arsenal also needs help on the wings, the Shakhtar Donetsk winger signing may have to wait for the summer, as the striker position needs to be urgently taken care of first.
Mikel Arteta and the Gunners have a golden opportunity on their hands this season, and it may be a long time before they can fight again for the Premier League trophy, its now or never.
