Mikel Arteta must put his pursuit of Alexander Isak on the back-burner for now as Arsenal need another addition more pressingly.
Arsenal need to invest in several areas of their squad in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The Gunners are on the hunt for a new striker. Alexander Isak has been linked with a switch to the Emirates Stadium, and would undeniably be an exciting addition. The Newcastle United ace has been in scintillating form this season.
Arsenal are also keen to bring in another left-back. However, midfield reinforcements ought to be Mikel Arteta’s top priority, even above striking a deal for Isak or any other elite-level striker.
Forget Alexander Isak, Mikel Arteta has a bigger problem to solve at Arsenal
The Gunners now have a dearth of reliable options in the middle of the park, beyond Declan Rice. Mohamed Elneny is leaving the club as a free agent, Jorginho is in the twilight years of his career and can no longer start games week in, week out, and the time has come for Arsenal to move on from Thomas Partey. The Ghanaian’s recurrent injury issues cannot be overlooked, and his performances in the final weeks of the campaign suggested that he is no longer the player he once was.
It is vital that Arsenal bring in fresh blood to complement Rice. The former West Ham United man was outstanding this season, and proved that he can have an impact at both ends of the pitch. A similarly versatile addition, who can operate in a more advanced role or protect the back four from the base of the midfield trio, would allow Rice to be rotated between the two positions he has already excelled in.
Arteta also needs a reliable option to turn to should Rice succumb to injury for any extended period. Due to his age, Jorginho could not fulfil that role.
Why a midfield signing is more important to Arsenal than a striker
Meanwhile, the Gunners do have options to spearhead the attack. Kai Havertz established himself as an excellent striker in the second half of the season, and Gabriel Jesus may well be able to get back to his best. Leandro Trossard can play through the middle if required, and there is also an argument that Gabriel Martinelli ought to be trialled as a centre-forward.
Signing a clinical goalscorer would be a huge boost, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that the Gunners scored 91 Premier League goals this season, without a clear first choice striker in place for much of the campaign. Havertz will be expected to kick on again in that role next season.
Those same options don’t exist in midfield, and that needs to be addressed in the coming weeks and months.