Arsenal will struggle to ever win the Premier League relying on Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus as their sole strikers, according to ex-goalkeeper Shaka Hislop.
The Gunners have come agonisingly close to ending their long wait for a league title over the last two seasons, finishing five points behind Manchester City in 2022-23 and just two points behind Pep Guardiola’s side in 2023-24.
Mikel Arteta’s team will look to go one better next season and lift the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004, but Hislop believes their wait will go on unless they sign a new striker.
Arsenal were in talks to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig earlier in the summer but the Slovenia international snubbed interest from multiple Premier League clubs to sign a new deal in Germany.
Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres have also been linked with moves to Arsenal and Hislop has urged Arteta to ‘address’ the club’s striker situation before the start of the new season.
‘Defence isn’t the first thing you think of when you think of where Arsenal need to improve,’ he told ESPN. ‘Their defensive record was just about as good as it gets.
‘But it really does come down to Arsenal’s attacking options. While Havertz, at times, popped up at key moments in key games with goals, I am just not sold on Havertz as a striker to lead a team to win the Premier League.
‘I feel the same about Gabriel Jesus, who I thought started wonderfully well when he first joined Arsenal. But because of injuries it waned.
‘There is still that department to be addressed. Mikel Arteta is right, margins are really thin, especially when you consider just how good Manchester City continue to be.
‘There’s still work to be done at Arsenal because they’ve just come up short despite how good they are.’
Who scored Arsenal’s goals last season?
Arsenal finished last season with 91 goals – the second-most in the division behind Manchester City – so they were far from weak in the final third of the pitch.
Winger Bukayo Saka was their top goalscorer with 16 while Havertz and Leandro Trossard also hit double figures.
Jesus only contributed four Premier League goals in an underwhelming second season at the Emirates Stadium.
Who have Arsenal signed so far this summer?
The Gunners have endured a subdued start to the summer transfer window, only signing teenage goalkeeper Tommy Setford from Ajax and making David Raya’s loan move from Brentford permanent.
But Arteta is set to welcome Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori to the Emirates in a £40m deal from Bologna and continue to be linked with moves for Spain midfielder Mikel Merino and England defender Marc Guehi.
Arsenal are currently in the USA for a pre-season tour and kick-start the 2024-25 campaign on August 17 with a home match against Wolves.
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