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Arsenal told to sign 'next Olivier Giroud' before transfer deadline as Havertz called out
Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have been handed some transfer advice before Friday's deadline.
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Arsenal have been instructed to sign a striker before Friday’s transfer deadline and one player has been mentioned specifically, who is said to be reminiscent of former Gunners hero Olivier Giroud. Mikel Arteta has already seen Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, David Raya and Jurrien Timber join the club, but further activity could yet take place before the window closes.
An injury to Timber could force Arsenal to sign another defender, while Folarin Balogun has departed and there have been calls to further strengthen the strikeforce. Havertz and Eddie Nketiah have both led the line while Gabriel Jesus has been sidelined, but ex-Gunner Jermaine Pennant believes that the German is not the answer.
“Kai Havertz is not a number 9,” Pennant told bitcoincasinos.com. “He doesn’t score goals, and he’s not a clinical finisher either,” he asserted. “Number 10 is probably his best position, but from what I’ve seen, I’m not sure why Arteta has paid big money for him. He probably wouldn’t have got into the team last season, so to me it’s just a really bizarre signing.
“Unless Arteta says after Christmas: ‘Guys, this is why I brought him, look at these stats’, but having seen him for three or four games, I don’t know why Arsenal have bought Kai Havertz – it doesn’t make sense.”
Instead, Pennant believes that the money spent on Havertz and Raya combined could have bought a top-level striker that would have been enough to transform them. He has insisted that Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic should be considered, having compared the Serbian striker to Giroud, now of AC Milan.
Pennant added: “If you’re spending £65m on Havertz then £30m on David Raya, that’s close to £100m – why not invest that in looking for a striker? They’re buying players in positions that they don’t really need.
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“There was talk a couple seasons ago of the club bringing Dusan Vlahovic in. I think he looks good; he reminds me of Olivier Giroud – he can hold up the ball, he’s good with his head, and in a team like Arsenal he’ll have a lot of chances created for him. Someone like him would be a good signing for Arsenal.”
Vlahovic has been made available this summer by Juventus, despite starting and scoring in both of their Serie A games to begin the season. He was involved in a potential swap deal that would see Chelsea’s forgotten man Romelu Lukaku move in the opposite direction to Turin, though those negotiations collapsed and the Belgian instead joined Roma on loan.
However, Arsenal do not appear interested in re-entering discussions for Vlahovic despite their attempts when he was at Fiorentina, and they are likely to dismiss Pennant’s plea with Jesus, Nketiah, Havertz and Leandro Trossard ready to go as their striker options for the season.