Arsenal appear set to remain quiet in the January transfer window despite club icon Thierry Henry’s pleas for a new striker.
The Gunners bolstered their title aspirations with a resounding 5-1 victory over Manchester City on Sunday. The win keeps Mikel Arteta’s men within striking distance of Liverpool and is a morale booster in pursuing the league leaders.
Kai Havertz was among the goal scorers at the Emirates Stadium, netting his 15th goal of the season in all competitions. Despite this, Arsenal’s attacking spearhead has been a point of contention due to Havertz’s perceived lack of composure in the box.
Adding to the woes, Gabriel Jesus is out for the season with an injury, while Bukayo Saka is nursing a hamstring issue. Even though Arsenal’s thrashing of City showed no signs of offensive struggles, Henry urged the club not to overlook their centre-forward conundrum.
However, the Mirror reports that despite Henry’s appeals, the Gunners have no intention of signing a striker before the 11pm transfer deadline. According to talkSPORT, Arsenal were only prepared to make a move if one of their long-term targets became available—a scenario unlikely to unfold on the last day of the transfer window.
Arteta is reportedly comfortable with his current striking options, thanks to Havertz’s goal haul, even though the club made a bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins last week. Henry candidly highlighted a recurring topic among Arsenal supporters in a candid conversation with Sky Sports.
(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
He said: “There’s one thing I wanted to mention as an Arsenal man. Always, Arsenal fans say to me, we need a nine. Nobody is going to ask for a nine after this game. Yeah, they should still ask. It’s not because you won 5-1 that you don’t need a nine.
“We’ve been, as Arsenal fans, asking for a nine for two years, four transfer windows. We still didn’t see it. You can’t be calling for a nine when you can’t put the ball in the back of the net and then when you do, forget it.”
He added: “You call for a nine all the time. I don’t often believe in the January transfer window, that’s only me. I keep saying all the time, sometimes you don’t get the player you want, wait for it, and go and get it in the summer. We haven’t done that yet.”
Amid links with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel, among others, Arsenal’s goal count stands at 49 this season – trailing behind their tally at this point last year and below league-leading Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.
Despite Henry’s remarks about the necessity of a number nine, Arsenal appears set to lean on Havertz’s goals to clinch a long-awaited league trophy. The Gunners are preparing to face off against Newcastle United on Wednesday, looking to reverse a 2-0 defeat and secure a spot in the Carabao Cup final.
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