Former Chelsea forward Chris Sutton has slammed Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for not sorting out the striker issue last summer. The Gunners were expected to sign a new No. 9 before the start of the current campaign, but failed to rope in a new face.
Arteta opted to deploy Kai Havertz in the position, with Gabriel Jesus serving as his backup. However, with both players sidelined for the season with injuries, the Spanish manager has had to use midfielder Mikel Merino regularly in the role.
Speaking on The BBC’s Football Daily podcast, Sutton hit out at Arteta for the lack of depth in the No. 9 position in the squad.
He continued:
The north London side are expected to invest in a new striker this summer, with Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak reportedly on their radar.
Arsenal are the favorites to sign Jonathan David this summer, according to Inter Live (via TEAMtalk). The Canadian striker’s contract with Lille expires this summer, and he looks set to leave as a free agent.
David has been on fire this season for the Ligue 1 giants, registering 25 goals and 12 assists from 48 games across competitions. His efforts have already earned him admirers at multiple clubs across the continent.
Napoli are reportedly willing to offer him a contract worth €4m per year, but the player’s entourage are holding out for annual wages of €5.5m. That wouldn’t be an issue for Arsenal, who remain the favorites to lap him up this summer. Juventus and Inter Milan are in the race as well.
Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer’s Wikipedia page.
Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina’s glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.
Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.
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