With so much uncertainty surrounding Arsenal’s striker trio, Mikel Arteta’s search for a long-term target has arguably become more urgent in recent weeks.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has not played for the club since he returned late from a trip to France in early December, and as a result being stripped of the club captaincy. He is currently away representing Gabon at the African Cup of Nations.
It remains to be seen whether he’ll be included in a Arsenal matchday squad again.
Even if there is some sort of making up between player and manager, he is still a 32-year-old with 18 months on his current contract. Arteta admitted recently that there was a “cloud” over the striking situation at the club, and that is true.
Alexandre Lacazette is in fine form, and Arteta’s current leading man up front, but is already 30 and has six months remaining on his current deal. Eddie Nketiah is another whose deal expires in six months. If an offer arrives for him in this months transfer window, it will be considered.
Gabriel Martinelli is thriving on the left-wing – an area Arsenal were intending to strengthen long-term – while Folarin Balogun appears to be on the brink of a loan move to Middlesborough in the Sky Bet Championship.
It is evident that Arsenal will need a striker in the summer. The Aubameyang and Lacazette situation could act as catalysts to accelerate the pursuit of a forward for the long-term.
So, who might Arteta and his recruitment staff be looking to fill the potential void at the Emirates?
In the last summer transfer window, the club made six signings aged 23 or under. A clear plan and identity in attempting to shape and rejuvenate an ailing squad.
So that will probably be the same route Arsenal take in their striker search. A player who is young, with a high-ceiling in terms of potential, one who could be moulded to be the club’s main-man for years to come:
Dusan Vlahovic, Fiorentina
Arguably one of Europe’s most potent goalscorers right now.
21-year-old Dusan Vlahovic is currently being touted around with some of the continent’s biggest clubs linked with a move for the Serbian hotshot.
It’s easy to see why: his record in front of goal this season is simply astonishing, with 17 Serie A goals from 20 appearances. Only Robert Lewandowski has scored more goals in Europe’s top five leagues.
One of the first striking elements of Dušan Vlahović’s characteristics is his striking size. At 6’3”, he stands quite literally, head and shoulders above others, especially some defenders who are tasked with taming him during a game. This has all the makings of a familiar fairytale story when it comes to young prodigy’s especially strikers, that their size immediately strikes fear into their opponents.
Like Erling Braut Haaland, Dušan Vlahović is built of a similar ilk.
Vlahović is a potent and clinical penalty box presence, a devastating finisher and his 16 goals in Serie A this season showing that at the tender age of just 21, he’s got so much to give in goal scoring situations. It’s also worth noting that this figure is backed up by four penalty goals.
He is a very deadly penalty taker, with 17 goals from 17 career attempts to date.
While Vlahović possesses the frame and tenacity to impose himself, he is certainly not short of pace, in fact, the quickness at which he reaches top speed is superb, and that element coupled with a fire in his belly is a frightening sight for even the best defenders in Serie A.
He offers such a dynamic threat in behind. For a striker of his stature and presence, his movement is surprisingly very effective. Intelligent and varied, and it is certainly possible that he learns to adapt his movement to suit the demand that derives from Fiorentina’s attacking play. He is so skilled at timing his runs beyond the defensive line to keep himself onside. He is a real danger when he is through on goal too, and is very content to shoot once the opportunity presents itself – his xG per 90 (0.59) is truly indicative of a forward who gets into dangerous areas, as one would expect from a player with such incisive movement.
Good movement, clinical finishing – Vlahović already looks the complete young package. As a bonus, he works hard off the ball too, he is tenacious, and plays the game like his life depends on it. He is not the type of player to be around when you have the ball, he will hustle and bustle until he regains possession, a real terrier-like performer.
All things considered, Vlahović has quickly morphed into a well-rounded forward, one well suited to the demands of the modern game. He holds a lot of rawness in his game for managers to work with, whether at Fiorentina or elsewhere. While there is a lot of hype surrounding his future at the top-level, one should in fact wonder how well he would transition at this stage to a more stringent and methodical tactical framework.
Vlahovic’s contract with Fiorentina is due to expire in 2023, and the indications are that he will not be signing a new one. That means the Italian side know they need to sell in the next two transfer windows if they are to maximise their return.
With his potential to get even better, its a proposition that Arsenal simply cannot afford to ignore.
Jonathan David, LOSC Lille
The 21-year-old Lille forward has been on Arsenal’s radar for some time, but the North London club aren’t the only ones with Liverpool, West Ham and Paris Saint-Germain also scouring for his services.
Since his move to Lille from Belgium outfit Gent in the summer of 2020, the Canadian has never looked back, although he did endure a difficult start – going on a run of seven games without a goal. However, in the second half of last season, his form picked up. Eleven of his 13 league goals in 2020-21 came after the turn of the year, as Lille done the unthinkable, finishing the campaign as French Ligue 1 champions.
This season, Lille have struggled to maintain their form as they currently sit in mid-table in Ligue 1. However, Jonathan David has continued his tremendous development. He is Ligue 1’s current top scorer with 12 goals from 19 appearances. In a league including Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi, that is a superb feat.
An extraordinary forward, blessed with great pace, skill, tenaciousness, trickery and acceleration. The Canadian is tremendously versatile too, capable of playing anywhere in attack; as a no.9, right-winger, left-winger, and a no.10. If fast and speedy players are your type, then Jonathan David is your man. A player whose game is based on an exciting blend of technique, mental sharpness and tremendous physical attributes.
The Canadian has excelled in his work-rate and off-the-ball attributes. So far this campaign, he is recording 5.39 successful pressures per 90minutes. He is in the top 10 percent of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues when it comes to pressures off the ball owing to his tremendous energy, enthusiasm and work rate. David has traded off some of that defensive work, and remodeled himself as a poacher in front of goal. A record of 0.48 non-penalty goals per 90 is brilliant and is simply going to get better.
He possess the mobility, intensity, and defensive know-how in both positioning and angling to excel for a club like Arsenal, and only grow in his pressing ability.
In possession, David is more than capable of dropping deep in the build up and linking up with speedy runners sprinting in behind. Even if he’s not as creative as Lacazette, he could easily grow into that type of player under the influence of a possession based coach like Arteta. Further, his desire to play with an open body shape rather than with his back to goal would serve Arsenal in their quest to score more goals.
David’s scoring form in Ligue 1 over the past two seasons, and for Canada where he’s been the top CONCACAF scorer in World Cup Qualifying, suggests he could score more goals for Arsenal than their current forwards. David’s movement in the box is superb, particularly in finding little pockets of space in which he can finish off chances created by speedy, dribbling wingers, which Arsenal possess to an even greater degree than Lille.
Jonathan David’s attacking stats this season compare well to Lacazette and far surpass Aubameyang.
Notably, David hasn’t scored from outside of the box this season, and the vast majority of his goals (9) have been scored in the eighteen yard box. This suits Arsenal’s current attacking abilities, where they look to build up play from back-to-front, looking to score a high number of their chances in the penalty box through incisive and intricate passing moves, including their counter attacking prowess, which he would flourish in due to having a very direct, vertical style of play with his raw dribbling and running power.
At 21-years-old, the potential is clear. It is unbelievably exciting to imagine what the Canadian forward might achieve in the coming years. Arsenal paid Lille big money for Nicolas Pepe in 2019 – so could they return to the Stade Pierre Mauroy in search of another new hitman?
Alexander Isak, Real Sociedad
Another one of Europe’s most exciting forwards, and a player Arsenal will of course be closely monitoring in the coming months.
Sweden international Alexander Isak signed a new contract in July that not only removed Borussia Dortmund’s €35 million buy-back option, but extended his commitment with Real Sociedad until 2026.
Which means any club looking to prize him away from the Reale Arena, would need to pay big bucks for Sociedad to consider selling. However, Arsenal showed in the summer that they are able and willing to flex some financial muscle in transfer fees to get their targets, and Isak will be no different.
The 22-year-old caught the eye at the European Championships last summer – but those who watch the Spanish La Liga closely will be familiar with his extraordinary abilities long before that. Last season, he hit 17 league goals in 34 games as Real Sociedad finished in a Europa League place.
With a rate of 0.65 non-penalty goals per 90 — the fourth-highest in La Liga and level with Atletico Madrid’s Luis Suarez — it’s no wonder Arsenal’s scouts have been following his progress. This season, however, his goals have dried up somewhat, with only four goals from 16 appearances so far, though considerations will need to be taken given his age and development.
He still offers his team much more than his goals, and that has shown in La Liga this season. Isak’s technical ability is largely fantastic. Despite often receiving possession with his body too square to the ball, his ability to spin and open his posture up is great, as is his awareness to make first-time layoffs and combine with close-by team-mates.
Although his first touch lacks consistency, as do some of his short passes, he showcases consistently excellent close control in tight spaces and an ability to shift the ball and his body in alternate directions very sharply – a skill made all the more impressive when you appreciate his tall, rangy frame. This can also be seen in some of his one-on-one attempts, where he is comfortable shifting possession onto either side of his body.
His positioning and movement for the ball are exemplary too. His sense of how and when to drop closer to the ball are great for linking play from side to side and creating overloads from the flank. Equally impressive is his use of this technique in executing double movements to make sharp runs into the drawn-open channels, putting to use his blistering levels of acceleration.
One intriguing aspect of Arsenal’s interest in the forward is his good on-field relationship with Martin Odegaard during the Norwegian’s spell at Sociedad in 2019/20. They both combined effectively on several occasions, with Odegaard often the provided and a source of Sociedad’s goals with his tremendous creative abilities.
Isak has also proven himself to be a formidable counter-attacking threat. He is comfortable offering and operating down both the left and right sides of the pitch, a testament to his mobility and technical quality; his link play and speed with and without the ball add up to him being a clinical target up front.
A bigger team prying him away almost feels like an inevitability for the 21-year-old, and there is no doubt many clubs would benefit from his presence up front, including Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.
Patrik Schick, Bayer Leverkusen
One of the stars of last summer’s European Championships and one of the leading lights in the German Bundesliga this season, Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick is a player who deserves rapturous acclaim these past six or seven months.
The Czech hitman has scored an astonishing 18 goals in 15 Bundesliga matches this season, with an expected goals rate at 0.82 goals per 90, and his non-penalty xG sitting at an 0.77 pitting him in the top 3 strikers in Europe’s top-five leagues. A goalscorer Arsenal could do well in possessing next season.
Many will remember Schick’s name in relation to his stunning goal from just over the half-way line against Scotland in the Euros.
In fact, his performance at the Euros where he hit 5 goals in as many games finishing as the tournament’s joint top-scorer with Cristiano Ronaldo, many argued Schick should have been in the team of the tournament rather than Romelu Lukaku, and rightly so. The 25-year-old was a true attacking force to be reckoned with at the Euros, as Scotland sadly found out. Schick is already on the list of several clubs around Europe, and yet another flawless Leverkusen talent who could be on the move in the near future.
Given Schick’s large frame, he naturally fits the bill of a traditional target man. Not since Olivier Giroud, have Arsenal possessed a true target-man, and Schick certainly has the assets to back this statement up too. Statistically, he performs respectably winning 46.3% of his 3.63 aerial duels per 90 in all competitions this season.
If players are willing to run off of Schick’s shoulder, then he will oblige by winning headers and helping the ball on. However, he shows excellent awareness of where his teammates are as the ball is in the air, as well as the positioning of the defenders and specifically the proximity of his marker.
Schick can adjust accordingly and can bring the ball down and hold up play when many forwards would simply look to head the ball on. The Czech forward is a tremendous outlet when using his as a focal point in attack, holding the ball up whilst bringing his fellow attackers into play.
Schick is able with the ball on the floor too. Whilst he provides a viable option to hit the ball too aerially, he has a good first touch and can play first time with either foot. He doesn’t panic in possession which will of course be useful in Arteta’s possession-based philosophy and he can receive, hold play up, and find a nearby teammate whilst under pressure.
Schick is far from being some kind of uber-physical and immobile centre-forward. He has a lean frame, and a deft touch in possession. He can receive line-breaking passes and play first time, as already mentioned, but he can also unlock defences with innovative passes and good vision. It’s why his partnerships with the likes of Florian Wirtz and Moussa Diaby has proven so devastating for Leverkusen this season.
Schick has quality holding the ball up with dribbling ability as well. He keeps the ball close as he dribbles, and is better at navigating tighter areas than he is driving forward on the ball.
Under Gerardo Seoane, Bayer Leverkusen have opted for 4-2-3-1, and in that set up he’s looked to take advantage of the strength of his wide players and the emergence of Florian Wirtz. Spearheading that attack is Patrik Schick. At 6’3” with a lean but strong frame, you’d be forgiven for assuming that Schick operates as a traditional target man. That would be a disservice to him as he is far more well-rounded, and more complete.
With Arsenal trying to play a fluid style, the movement of the forwards is essential to pulling that off. A striker in this system must be able to perform single or double movements to either become part of the build-up play centrally or create space for others to run in to.
One of the first things you notice about Schick is that despite his frame, he’s not just living by sitting up on the back line. He will, if needed drop into space and make himself available to receive the ball, and bounce it either to Wirtz or a wide player and then advance into space to become an option further up field, and its in the penalty box where he comes to life, scoring all types of goals but more importantly showcasing why he has got to be considered as one of the best strikers on the continent.
With any forward coming into the Premier League you do worry about the physical attributes of the player and that should be no concern for the Patrick Schick. He is a player Arteta should consider signing this summer to boost their quota in attack, Schick is a player ready for the next step in his career and Arsenal who are progressively improving under Arteta’s stewardship may prove to be the perfect move for the incredibly promising forward.
Ivan Toney, Brentford
A big wildcard pick in comparison to the players on this list, but Brentford’s Ivan Toney is certainly a player Arsenal should seriously be watching. The 25-year-old certainly proved himself last season, scoring a record 31 goals in the Championship.
With more eyes on him this year, he set the tone for what he would bring to the Premier League on the opening day against Arsenal.
Despite not scoring on the day, he was arguably the most influential player on the pitch — as highlighted at the time. Prepared to play with his back to goal, he bullied and dominated Ben White and Pablo Mari to build a platform for Brentford to attack from.
Toney has grown considerably since then, and continues to be a true worthy opponent for the Premier League’s best defenders, just ask Virgil Van Dijk, Raphael Varane and Ruben Dias.
Although Toney has six goals to Mbeumo’s three in the Premier League, the latter has hit the woodwork seven times to Toney’s zero. (Brentford have hit the woodwork 10 times as a team. Only Arsenal, 12, have done it more often in the division this season).
Toney had also made the most open-play passes leading to shots (25) for the club this season, showing that he is an incredibly creative forward. Whether it be winning aerial duels, retaining the ball himself or winning fouls from long balls up to him, he is laying the groundwork for Brentford to be such a competitive force so far this campaign. For progressive passing, he’s given a 98 out of 99 rating by smarterscout.
His defensive contributions also display he is a well-rounded striker who could lead the line in many respects, Certainly a player Arsenal could do with. He is in the top percentile amongst strikers in Europe’s top five leagues for Aerial duels won per 90 (4.65), clearances per 90 (1.24) and interceptions per 90 (0.71).
Certainly the next step is for him to get more goals in the big time, but that can’t be considered as a fault of his, but more so a problem of Brentford’s in terms of the quality of their attacking play. If Toney was at Arsenal, he’d be guaranteed goals with the likes of Saka, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe and Martinelli creating goal opportunities for him.
Though in fairness, he quality of chances the 25-year-old has had this season have not been great, as he only had an xG of 4.4 (2.8 when excluding penalties) after Brentford’s first 19 matches. In short respect, with four goals scored, he had as many goals as the quality of his chances determine he should at this point in the season – a tally he would need to improve if he does harbour any ambitions of playing for one of the big teams in the country.
According to many reports, Toney is being strongly considered by Gareth Southgate for England. If the striker wants to break into squad ahead of the 2022 World Cup in November and December, he may consider whether a move to a bigger club will help his progress.
Toney being a very good profile for what Arsenal could need post-Lacazette-and-Aubameyang and Brentford being willing to sell are two different conversations altogether, however. Though, Brentford do hold a model in which they develop their talents and sell them for big money and Toney is no different, considering his vital importance to Thomas Frank and Brentford.
#AnthonyScouts🕵🏾♂️ pick: Dusan Vlahovic
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