Arsenal go to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening with their title hopes left in ruins following their 1-0 defeat at home to West Ham on Saturday.
Jarrod Bowen’s header on the stroke of half-time was enough to condemn Arsenal to their third defeat of the season, allowing Liverpool to move 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League following their win 2-0 win against Manchester City on Sunday.
The Gunners huffed and puffed against Graham Potter’s side but, in truth, never looked like scoring, registering just two shots on target across the 90 minutes.
And the bluntness of Mikel Arteta’s side means fresh debates have been raised about which forwards Arsenal should target in the summer window, with former England strikers Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer weighing in.
Liam Delap and Victor Osimhen tipped for Gunners
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast following the weekend’s action, a man who scored some glorious goals in the Premier League and the all-time Alan Shearer made clear that Arsenal “need a top-class centre forward and “they did before a ball was kicked this season.”
When giving his opinion on who that striker should be, Shearer said: “Victor Osimhen’s there. He, without doubt, will score goals.”
On loan at Galatasaray this season, Osimhen has scored 14 goals in 19 games in the Turkish Super Lig.
Having fired parent club Napoli to Serie A glory in 2022/23 with 26 goals in 32 games, Osimhen will likely be available in the summer after expressing his desire to leave Naples at the beginning of this season.
Lineker, who won the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup, becoming the first English player to do so, on the other hand, believes Arsenal should target Liam Delap at Ipswich.
“I know he’s [Delap] young, not entirely proven, but he’s scored quite a lot of goals in the Premier League this season for a team that’s obviously struggled having been promoted last season.”
In his first full season in the top flight, the 22-year-old has scored an admirable 10 goals in 25 games for an Ipswich side currently languishing in the bottom three.
Liam Delap and Victor Osimhen are very similar forwards
The pair are two very similar profiles. Both stand tall at 6 foot 1 inches, can shoot with either foot and can play with their back to goal.
Osimhen is known for his explosive pace and leaping ability, while Delap, though younger, also possesses great strength and speed for his age.
| Competition | Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | Ipswich Town | 25 | 10 | 2 | 3,905 |
| FA Cup | Ipswich Town | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| EFL Cup | Ipswich Town | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Total | 27 | 10 | 2 | 3,905 |
Delap is also proving himself as a goalscorer at Ipswich, despite the lack of quality in the side, whereas Osimhen has been doing it for years.
| Competition | Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Süper Lig | Galatasaray | 18 | 14 | — | 1,384 |
| UEFA Europa League | Galatasaray | 7 | 6 | — | 594 |
| Total | 25 | 20 | — | 1,978 |
Watkins, Sesko and Vlahovic – the other targets for Arsenal
Arteta has made clear in the January window that his side were actively looking to bring in a new centre forward.
Arsenal are interested in Ollie Watkins, but Aston Villa held firm after opting to sell second-choice striker Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Watkins, a boyhood Arsenal fan, may nonetheless be tempted to make the move to North London should Arsenal pursue him again in the summer.
Arsenal were also keen on Benjamin Sesko last summer before the Slovenian signed a new contract with German side RB Leipzig. Clearly, that interest is still there, with Fabrizio Romano revealing Sesko remains a target for the club.
Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic is also on the Gunners’ radar. After missing out on the Serbian in January 2021, Arteta has signalled that Vlahovic is a key target in the next window.
Even before the long-term injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, it was clear Arsenal needed an out-and-out goalscorer to provide them with something different in attacking areas.
It remains to be seen who they bring in over the summer in what will be an important transfer window for the club.
The post Not Isak: Mikel Arteta tipped to sign two forwards this summer for Arsenal who share striking similarities appeared first on HITC.
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