What Arsenal do at centre-forward will define their season

We are now 20 games into the season, and the centre-forwards at Arsenal have a combined seven league goals between them. Whether and how they address this position before transfer deadline day will ultimately define their season.

All things considered, Mikel Arteta’s men had a solid enough first half of the season which has put them back in the midst of the top four race. Yet they have done so largely without much tangible contribution from the striker position; Pierre Emerick Aubameyang had only scored four goals before being cast aside for disciplinary reasons, and Alexandre Lacazette has found the back of the net just three times in 15 appearances.

When looking at the caliber of the forwards we are competing against, this simply won’t cut it.

A rejuvenated Tottenham under Antonio Conte have Harry Kane and Son Heung-min to count on. While Manchester United have had their struggles, they will still find ways to win games with the likes of Ronaldo, Cavani, Greenwood, and Rashford up front.

What Arsenal do at centre-forward will define their season with transfer activity needed with Lacazette, Aubameyang and Nketiah futures to decide

Arsenal have leaned heavily on Lacazette since early December, and while he has his strengths in terms of link-up play, his output is sporadic at best. He also looks routinely jaded around the 60 minute mark, and Eddie Nketiah is presently the only man who can relieve him, which frankly isn’t acceptable.

The Gunners have been linked with the likes of Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic and Lille’s Jonathan David, but so far nothing has materialized. On the other hand, Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr have lodged an official bid to sign Aubameyang on loan with an obligation to buy. We don’t exactly know how his relationship with Arteta is at this point, but if he isn’t going to play at all then Arsenal must surely be desperate to get his wages off the books.

Addressing the striker position is not only an immediate requirement, but a long-term necessity as well. Lacazette and Nketiah will be free agents in the summer, and even if Aubameyang stays, his contract is set to expire in just 18 months.

Arteta and Edu deserve credit for the work they’ve done in rebuilding the squad in a number of key areas; we now have a strong foundation at the back with Aaron Ramsdale and a clear first choice back four. But continuing to ask young stars such as Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli to shoulder the goalscoring burden for this team would be naive and indefensible.

If the club’s leadership are serious about their supposed Champions League aspirations, then the striker problem must be solved now.

Either Arteta and Aubameyang will need to come to a truce until the end of the season, or someone else needs to be brought in. The clock is ticking to aid this Premier League campaign.