Following a campaign full of offensive struggles and injuries, Arsenal is reportedly pushing Mikel Arteta to sign a £81 million talent, a great admirer.
The Arsenal striker problem explained
Bukayosaka’s mid-season hamstring injuries helped little to their cause, but Arsenal’s offense was not sharp enough throughout the current campaign. Even with the statistical best defense in the league, the gunners were unable to pose a serious title challenge for Liverpool. Liverpool sealed the Premier League crown in four games.
Arsenal under Mikel Arteta | League goals |
|---|---|
2024/25 | 63 (*In front of Bournemouth) |
2023/24 | 91 |
2022/23 | 88 |
In the last three seasons where they won the Premier League title, the current campaign is the worst in front of Arsenal’s goals, and the last four games are unlikely to help change that.
Many have spoken out about the Gunners’ goalscoring struggle, including Sky Sports Pandit and former Liverpool centre back Jamie Karager. “But the problem they have is not an ending problem. It’s a creative problem. They don’t create enough opportunities. That’s the biggest problem they have right now.”
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It’s the issue that raised his head against Paris Saint-Germain mid-week, and Arteta will be desperate to resolve it ahead of his side’s trip to face the French champions next week. Aggregated 1-0, Arsenal is in a difficult battle to win position in the Champions League final.
However, at this stage it seems unlikely that Arteta will be able to solve his offensive problems within his current team. Instead, new sports director Andrea Berta will have to turn to the summer transfer market.
Arsenal is currently pushing to sign £81 million Yildiz
Spain reports that Arsenal is pushing for a signing to Kenan Ildis from Juventus this summer. Arteta is confident that the 19-year-old winger can provide much-needed solutions to offensive troubles on his part. However, teenagers won’t be cheaper, given that Juventus reportedly slapped a price tag of 90 million euros (£81 million) on a young star.
League statistics 24/25 (via FBREF) | Min | the goal | assist | Key Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Kenan Ildis | 2,223 | 6 | 2 | 48 |
silly | 1,454 | 6 | 10 | 49 |
Gabriel Taney | 1,956 | 7 | 4 | 34 |
Leandro Trossard | 2,264 | 8 | 5 | 36 |
Yildiz’s output, only 19, may not have exploded into his life yet, but the number of important passes he managed this season suggests that there are creative players waiting to flourish once at the peak of his power.
Called “exciting” by analyst Ben Matinson, Ildis could find himself at the heart of Arsenal’s frontline for the next decade if he decided to trade Juventus for North London this summer.
Arteta is already convinced of his talent, so it will be interesting to see if Berta is on the same page when Summer arrives and pursues a teenage sense.