talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agboblahor has suggested that Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta "would love" to sign one club's "reliable" star.
Who have Arsenal signed in 2023?
The Gunners opted to bring in four major signings over the summer window in a real statement of intent; spending over £200 million on club-record capture Declan Rice, Germany international forward Kai Havertz, versatile defensive ace Jurrien Timber and sweeper keeper David Raya. Rice, who cost Arsenal £105 million, has gone on to impress at the Emirates while Raya has took over from Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks.
Unfortunately, Timber succumbed to a long-term ACL injury on the Premier League opening weekend against Nottingham Forest, while Havertz has come under some criticism despite scoring his first Arsenal goal in a 4-0 away win at Bournemouth last weekend. The north Londoners could even be busy in the January window, as reports suggest they're after a striker.
Arteta's side are said to be eyeing Brentford star Ivan Toney, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins. Centre-forward is one of the only positions they didn't strengthen over the summer window, instead opting to bring in Havertz as a more of a makeshift option. Arsenal currently have Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus as the main centre-forward options, but pundits like Ray Parlour say they need to sign another.
"I know that a lot of teams play with one forward now, but in my teams we had Nwankwu Kanu, Sylvain Wiltord and obviously Thierry (Henry) and Dennis (Bergkamp)," Parlour told JBI Training (via The Metro).
"I do think we need that extra striker. If Gabriel Jesus gets injured again, is Eddie going to be able to come in and do well enough in the Champions League?
"I know that we could play with a false nine, but I would like that security of having an out-and-out striker. The problem is, who is available? Who can Arsenal bring in that position?"
Will Arsenal sign a striker?
As previously mentioned, Arsenal do appear to be in the market for a striker, and talkSPORT regular Agbonlahor has suggested that they'd take a potential Toney alternative. Speaking to Football Insider, the former Premier League striker has said that Arteta "would love" to sign Watkins from Aston Villa.
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Headed attempts
Sharing his verdict on why Watkins hasn't signed a new contract yet, Agbonlahor said:
“He might feel he deserves a certain amount, he might feel unhappy with what Villa are offering. There’s a lot that goes into the contract negotiations. This could be his last big contract at his age, you don’t know.
“I do think that Villa need to get it sorted because he’d be worth every penny. He’s a top striker. He’s reliable, and you know he’s always going to come up with the goods.
“But it’s a negotiation and I’m sure they’ll come to the right decision. The club know there will be many takers for a player like Watkins if there’s no agreement. I’m sure the likes of Arsenal would love to have him and give him the money he wants.”
Watkins is on a reported £75,000-per-week at Villa Park, and has already scored four goals in the league this season.