Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart has warned Arsenal that even if the team signs prolific striker Mikel Arteta, it might not be enough to mount a successful Premier League title challenge. The Gunners have cemented their status as Manchester City’s closest rivals after finishing second in the previous two seasons, but as Hart, a Match of the Day pundit, points out, adding a top-tier goal scorer alone might not be the magic bullet to overcome Pep Guardiola’s dominant squad.
With 16 goals from the wing, Bukayo Saka led the scoring charts, and Havertz played a large portion of the previous season as a false No. 9, according to Hart. “A prolific striker is definitely needed, but finding someone who can score 25 goals a season isn’t the only challenge.” They’re attempting to overthrow one of the best teams here, not accomplish something trivial.
Hart emphasized the intricacy of the competition while acknowledging Arsenal’s solid base and their status as City’s closest rivals. As the closest rivals, Arsenal is difficult to ignore.
Despite having strong foundations, they are moving forward. But it will be interesting to see how Liverpool performs under Arne Slot. Newcastle’s ambition, Chelsea’s talent mix, and [Erik] Ten Hag are all teams that Manchester United supports and can compete with.
Julian Alvarez, who recently left Manchester City, and Benjamin Sesko are two possible additions that Arsenal has been linked to. But defender Riccardo Calafiori is still the only noteworthy addition they have made thus far. Hart is aware of the difficulties in the transfer market because there are only so many elite strikers, and the best teams in the world compete for them.
Hart clarified, “They are in the market against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Barcelona.” And it’s hard to find many strikers who can play for 25 games a season. Few people can play the sport at the elite level, despite the fact that millions of people do so worldwide.
Arsenal is apparently targeting Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino in addition to a striker. In order to strengthen the team in preparation for another title challenge this season, Arteta has identified Merino as a critical target. Real Sociedad, however, turned down Arsenal’s initial offer for the winner of Euro 2024, despite weeks of conjecture.
The Spanish team is prepared to part ways with the 28-year-old midfielder, who has declined to sign a contract extension, according to Radio Marca. Still, talks are going on between the two clubs. Merino was valued at €35 million by Sociedad, and Arsenal was unwilling to pay that amount for a player who had only one year left on his contract, so their initial offer for the player was €5 million less than Sociedad’s estimate.
Real Sociedad is reportedly pushing for a larger percentage of the fee to be paid upfront, while Arsenal is reportedly more interested in paying closer to €25 million (£21.3 million) and spreading the payments over three years.
