Arsenal target strength in depth and new striker for 2025
Manager Mikel Arteta and his Premier League title hopefuls are on the up and remain unbeaten in all competitions so far this season, but a series of injuries to key players have highlighted how quickly the tables can turn on them.
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Club captain Martin Odegaard may not return until November, as it is believed he remains out for the best part of four weeks, while the Gunners were also dealt real scares over star forwards Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka during the international break.
This has led to reports that Arsenal are targeting an alternative to Saka, with former recruitment chief Mick Brown, who's worked for the likes of Man United and Tottenham, stating that the north Londoners are eager to strengthen their back up options.
“I’ve heard the Arsenal hierarchy have held discussions about what happens if certain players get injured, and that includes Saka," said Brown to Football Insider.
Arsenal's next five Premier League games
Date
Bournemouth (away)
October 19
Liverpool (home)
October 27
Newcastle United (away)
November 2
Chelsea (away)
November 10
Nottingham Forest (home)
November 23
"They want to get to a point where they have a solid backup for every player in their starting XI. Long-term, they’ll be planning to strengthen in every position. But that applies to Saka certainly, because a winger who’s always looking to take people on is always likely to get a whack and pick up a knock. This latest blow isn’t so serious, they hope, but with the way he plays, he’ll always pick up these little issues.
“He may always be available at the moment, but I know the club are planning for what happens if that isn’t the case any longer.“
So, despite the fine form of Havertz this season, there are claims that Arsenal are after a new striker in 2025. The likes of Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig), Jhon Duran (Aston Villa), Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting Lisbon) and Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan) have all been linked with moves to N5 in the last few weeks, so the possibility of a fresh number nine for Arteta seems very realistic.
Arsenal-Gyokeres
They've also been monitoring defensive options, according to reports in the press this week, despite the signing of Riccardo Calafiori in a £42 million deal from Bologna over the summer.
Juventus criticised for allowing Arsenal to sign Calafiori
The Italy international has commenced life at Arsenal in excellent fashion, barring an early-season injury. Edu beat off a few big-name competitors in the race for Calafiori's signature, including Serie A giants Juventus.
The Old Lady were heavily linked with a move for the £120,000-per-week centre-back, who is widely regarded as one of Italy's rising stars. Juventus have now been criticised for allowing Arsenal to beat them in the race for Calafiori, with journalist Valentina Ballarini telling Sport Italia, via BianconeraNews and Sport Witness, calling it "crazy".
Riccardo-Calafiori-Arsenal
“Losing Calafiori was madness. I don’t know how to define it in any other way. It was a madness in our football, the most evident in recent years," said Ballarini.
“There have been many, it’s true, caused by the economic power that we no longer have for some time, but that of Calafiori drives me crazy in a negative way.”
Since joining Arsenal, the 22-year-old has amassed eight appearances in all competitions and got off the mark for his new club with a stunning curled effort away to title rivals Man City.
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