Going into this transfer window, most of us agreed that a striker was tp of the list.
Despite us scoring more league goals last season than any other in our history, the feeling was we needed someone more clinical if we wanted to take the next jump from challengers to champions.
The issue, however, remains that there are not many top strikers in world football right now. And those that are potentially available are over priced having achieved little, and I question whether they would actually be an upgrade on Kai Havertz.
This is not the 00s where it felt like top strikers were going on trees (Henry, Shevchenko, Ronaldo, Del Perio, Inzaghi, Owen, Shearer, Rooney, Eto’o, Raul, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Trezequet, Anelka and more!). The lack of top strikers is highlighted by the list of names that led the line for their countries in the last 8 of the Euros:
Spain – Alvaro Morata
Germany – Kai Havertz
Portgual – Cristiano Ronaldo
France – Randal Kolo Muani
Netherlands – Memphis Depay
Turkey – Arda Guller
England – Harry Kane
Switzerland – Breel Embolo
If you take Harry Kane out of the equation (who has looked shot this summer), iwould not take any of the other 6 names ahead of Kai Havertz. And it is the same in the Copa America:
Argentina – Lautaro Martinez
Ecuador – Enner Valencia
Venezuela – Salamon Rondon
Canada – Cyle Larin
Columbia – Jhon Cordoba
Panama – Edgar Barcenas
Uruguay – Darwin Nunez
Brazil – Endrick
Half of the Copa America list are journeymen footballers, whilst the likes of Nunez and Endrick are unobtainable. Lautaro Martinez is a player I have always admired, but we are unlikely to persuade him to leave Inter Milan, whom he is a cult hero and will eventually be bestowed with legend status.
I appreciate that there are options outside the 16 nations who have made the quarter finals in the 2 only relevant contental tournaments.
Serhou Guirassy, Artem Dovbyk, Loïs Openda, Alexander Sorloth and Alexander Isak were the men to make up the top 10 of the European Golden Shoe in 2023/24.
Guirassy, Dovbyk and Sorloth are all journeymen strikers in their late 20s who have just had their first decent season in a top European league. We should not be looking at any of them. Loïs Openda is clearly a talent and will be on the shortlist, whilst Newcastle are unlikely to part ways with Isak.
We have long been linked with the likes of Victor Osimhen, Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres and Ivan Toney. But all of them have been crossed out (on my list at least):
Osimhen (injury concerns)Sesko (new contract) Gyokeres (over priced)Toney (Personality concerns)
Instead of looking to invest heavily in a new forward, an option could be to stick with Havertz. Playing as a striker in the 2nd half of the season, Germany’s first choice forward grabbed himself 8 goals and 7 assists in 13 games. Were he not already at Arsenal, Kai would be someone fans would be calling for us to sign.
Rather than a forward, we could look to add to the “forward line”, and that means buying a wide forward. And there is one man on everyone’s lips right now: Nico Williams.
I have long been a Nico Williams fan. He looks to have it all – power, pace, trickery and technique. At this Euro’s, the rest of the world have begun to realise just how good he is.
Yes, his goals to games is not particularly great right now, but he is still just 21. These will naturally improve as his career progresses and by playing in a more attacking team.
Williams on the left, Havertz in the middle and Saka on the right would be devastating. they would then be backed up by Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard.
For those that might say “harsh on Martinelli”, we will be playing 50+ games next season as we look to compete on all fronts. We should not be scared of having Saka, Williams and Martinelli competing for wide positions, further backed up by Trossard and Jesus.
Signing Williams also would not mean I do not want us to sign a striker. It might just mean we go for someone to back up and compete with Havertz rather than start ahead of them (if finances work, we might still be able to go for Williams and a top striker).
In the last few days, links with Dortmund striker Karim Adeyemi have intensified. The fee being mooted is €30m.
Adeyemi was once one of the hottest young strikers, but he has not really kicked on to that World Class level. He is, however, just 22.
The German striker come winger reminds me a lot of Isak in both the way he plays and the feeling he could jump to the next level. I could certainly see us accommodating Adeyemi as cover and competition for both Havertz and Jesus.
Ultimately, the question is if we can not fund both buying Nico Wiliams and a top striker, which option would you rather?
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
Sign Nico Williams and a top midfielder. Alas!
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