Mikel Arteta and Hugo Ekitike (Photo: Justin Setterfield, Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)
It really doesn’t surprise me that Arsenal is not mentioned as a serious candidate for Hugo Ekichique.
He is clearly a top talent, having had a great season in Germany in Frankfurt, scoring a total of 22 goals. From what I saw about him, he also appears to be tailored to succeeding in the Premier League.
However, when you look at the sort of striker Mikel Arteta wants to run on his system, it’s not clear whether Ekitike fits the bill or not.
Benjamin Sesco is better suited to Arsenal than Hugo Ekitice
You can see why Arsenal is keen on Benjamin Sesco. He appears to fit perfectly into the Arteta system, but I’m not sure if I can say the same thing in Ekitike.
That’s not a criticism, and honestly, I think there’s a strong argument that Arsenal should be looking for something a little different to what they already have.
Arsenal looked a bit predictable under Arteta. They certainly did last season anyway, and perhaps they need another type of option to give the opposition something else to think about.
But I’m not just about whether it’s what they’re really looking for.
It was a late start, but Arsenal plans an important window
In terms of early business conducted by Arsenal’s Premier League rivals this summer, we can understand why a sense of dissatisfaction grows among the fanbase.
Liverpool shows true intentions early in the window. There’s no sense that they’re taking their eyes off the ball for the title celebration. If anything, it appears they are determined to send a statement to everyone else that they are coming out to build on their success.
That’s worrying given how clear and clear they finished in the rest of the league last season and the quality of the players they’re trying to bring in right now.
But I don’t think I’m just waiting for what my club will do in this early stage of the window, ignoring what’s going on elsewhere. There’s still a long way to go.
Arsenal wants to significantly bolster this summer. That message is abundantly clear and I think they will.