Injuries to Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have left the Gunners light in attack. And with the transfer window now closed, dipping into the pool of unattached players is Arteta's only option if he wants to bring in a new face.
One of the most established stars available is former Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Spain striker Diego Costa. The 36-year-old tore up the Premier League when he was at Stamford Bridge, hitting 20 goals in two of his three full seasons.
But he was not only known for his goals. Costa's fiery personality hurt Chelsea nearly as often as it helped them. He was handed a three-match ban for his role in a bust-up with Arsenal in 2015, another three-match ban for violent conduct against Liverpool earlier in the same year, and left the Blues on bad terms with then-manager Antonio Conte.
Gallas, who played for both Chelsea and the Gunners, thinks that issues would arise if Costa headed to the Emirates.
"He is a big character," Gallas told Slingo. "That can be good for your squad when you need the mood to be lifted. However, I could see him clashing with Mikel Arteta. He won’t fit in with the mood at the club and I think it would go the wrong way, even though they need a striker. Chelsea fans would also be gutted. I think he would turn down the move because of his history there and how the fans would react.
Gremio v Flamengo - Brasileirao 2024
Diego Costa last played for Brazilian side Gremio last year
"He is a big character and that can help some teams, but not with his history. He is of a different generation and I think it would be hard for him to fit in."
Costa is still on the lookout for his next club after spending most of the past four years in Brazil, barring a one-season stint at Wolves in 2022/23.
A rogue solution to Arsenal's striker shortage emerged at the King Power Stadium last weekend, when central midfielder Mikel Merino came off the bench and scored twice in an unfamiliar centre-forward role. However, Gallas is unconvinced about sticking Merino up front as a means of closing the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool.
"It's good for his confidence but he isn’t the answer when it comes to trying to beat Liverpool in the title race," the Frenchman continued. "He scored twice against Leicester, but they have to find seven points and the opposition will get much tougher."
Arteta fielded a front-three of Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri against Leicester. The exact same trio could also start at home to West Ham on Saturday, with Arsenal's squad stretched thinly after a demanding few months.
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