Arsenal: 2 players to benefit from new centre-forward signing

As impressive as Eddie Nketiah has been for Arsenal over recent fixtures, and as important as he still is over the remaining ones, the need to go out and sign a top class striker has not lessened in the slightest.

Heading into an uncertain four Premier League matches with his contract expiring in the summer, that side of the discussion is irrelevant. The only matter for all parties to concern themselves with is securing a top four place.

Do so and suddenly Arsenal can mix with the big boys. Already a huge club, the difference it makes having Champions League football to offer when it comes to signing players in the transfer window can’t be understated.

Who that player is remains to be seen. Links to Gabriel Jesus at Manchester City, Lautaro Martinez at Inter, and Victor Osimhen at Napoli are just a few of the vast array of names Arsenal are said to be keen on.

The 2 Arsenal players who will benefit most from the club signing a new centre-forward in the upcoming summer transfer window

Regardless of who walks through the London Colney doors there can be confidence that they won’t be a project signing. One of the strikers signed during the window may be, but the priority addition, the one who will cost the big bucks, is going to come into the side ready to hit the ground running. Ideally, anyway.

What that will do for the team as a whole is going to be transformative, but there are two players in particular who are set to profit tremendously.

The first of those is Kieran Tierney. Out of the picture at present on account of another damaging injury, when back fit and starting every week he will be frothing at the mouth over the prospect of  a prolific centre-forward to aim for.

By far the best crosser of a ball in the team, one can pick out almost any game at random he’s played in where he’s been robbed of an assist. It doesn’t have to be a wicked high cross that someone flapped a header at; it can be the cutbacks, the early low crosses, the balls down the line or the chips in behind.

Watching Lacazette fail to connect with his deliveries, or misread them entirely, must be a source of great frustration. If the rest of the team know where their new centre-forward will be on the pitch, including which areas he will attack, Tierney will also have more scope to aim for elsewhere.

How the team has reacted to having Aubameyang in his lowest ebb and Lacazette in his…regular ebb, has been a balancing act. The additional freedom everyone can have will only benefit the the key creator from that left side.

Tierney isn’t the only one, though.

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Martin Odegaard Will be in Dreamland With a New Striker

Martin Odegaard is now Arsenal’s key creator. That is what he was signed for and he hasn’t disappointed in that regard.

Just one glance at the numbers enlightens those who need not be enlightened: Odegaard averages 2.38 key passes per 90 minutes, which puts him in the top 3% in Europe.

They’re quite spectacular numbers. Looking at the Premier League alone, since November no player has created more chances than in him in the division. He’s ahead of Bruno Fernandes and Kevin De Bruyne in that department.

With a striker in front of him who runs in behind, comes short to create space for others and offers real presence in the centre of the pitch, the Norwegian will, as the say these days, ‘be cooking’.

Already with Nketiah in the fray we’ve seen movement in behind and chances created in that fashion, with two such opportunities created by Odegaard in the first of the 3-1 win over Manchester United alone.

Elite creators need elite attacking talent in front of them. Odegaard flourishes already as it only requires a quick viewing to see how majestic and technical he is on the ball, with expert vision and deftness of pass, thus adding a high calibre centre-forward widens the potential for his creation.

It remains to be seen who the club sign in the summer, but whoever it is will be a significant upgrade on what they have now. Odegaard’s numbers will soar.