Eddie Nketiah was poor against Newcastle. He was also poor in the West Hma League Cup game. Those back to back performances came off the back of his hattrick against Sheffield United.
I have long been a defender of Nketiah – or more a defender of our position against buying another striker.
My thinking has never been that there is not better strikers out there than Eddie. It has always been would a better striker be happy joining us to sit on the bench and basically only play when Gabriel Jesus.
Last season, Eddie played just 1,073 Premier League minutes. That would not be enough to keep a better striker (Ollie Watkins?) happy.
What Eddie has shown us in the last couple of weeks is probably what we all knew of him – he is a decent option to play up-top gainst those lower teams in the Premier League, but does not have the quality if we need someone to come in long term for Gabriel Jesus.
Eddie’s issue he is now facing is that come the end of the seaosn he is 25-years-old. He will unlikely improve much more than his current level. And that level is not good enough if Jesus continues to miss 10-12 Premier League games a season.
The question, however, still rmeians as to who else is there? One option is to be clinical with Gabriel Jesus.
The Brazilian missed a few games last season through injury, and is already on his 2nd injury this season. Is it time to change our thinking from “we need better cover for Jesus” to “we need better than Jesus, and Gabi can be the cover”.
You go and sign an Ivan Toney or Victor Osimhen as first choice, and then Jesus is their cover. Taking into account he can also play left and right wing, there will be plenty of games to keep Jesus happy.
The alternative is that we look for someone who is up and coming, that we might think might quickly overtake Eddie’s level and be a better back-up striker.
This alternative obviously has more risk – especially as that replacement will come from abroad (Nicolas Jackson has looked no better than Eddie this season). There is no gaurantee that the replacement will come in and be a better option.
On a side note, we were strill right in selling Folarin Balogun in the summer. Remember, he was not content with being 2nd choice and fighting for first. He wanted gauranteed first team football. He has not exactly set the French league alight in his 2nd season.
So what options are there?
Better than Gabriel Jesus
For me, there are only really two strikers that I would be interested in if we decided to improve on Gabriel Jesus – Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney.
Osimhen was key for Napoli last season and has the presence, athleticism, strength, pace and eye for goal to take us to the next level.
I was actually surpsied he remained at Napoli last summer taking into account that both Manchester United and Chelsea were on the look out for a new centre forward. “Why did he not leave?” is a genuine question to ask despite him having just won the league with Napoli.
Napoli have not been as scintilating this season, and currently sit in 4th place. It is increasingly looking like last seaosn was the peak of their project, not the start of a period of dominance. That could mean Osimhen will be on the market come the summer.
I have a feeling that the Nigerian will end up replacing Kylian Mbappe at PSG (who in turn will finally get his move to Real Madrid).
The alternative is Ivan Toney.
I did laugh after the Newcastle game when “journalist” Henry Winter said something like ‘the £65m spent on Kai Havertz could have gone towards the £100m for Ivan Toney, a finisher Arsenal need’.
Winter completely ignoring the fact that Toney is currently serving a ban, so his suggested recruitment would have made zero difference. That changes in January when he can begin playing football again – 16 January to exact.
Toney would be a perfect fit for Arsenal. He is a natural finisher and, like Jesus, also has a fantastic work rate.
He turns 28 in March, which is a slight worry, but then that was the age(ish?) that we signed Ian Wright. And Toney’s journey to the top level is not to disimilar to the Arsenal legend.
Toney has had to fight his way up through the league, and has been no stranger to controversy during his rise. He is a rought diamond and Arsenal might be able to put that final bit of polish on him like we did Wrighty.
But £100m for a soon-to-be 28-year-old does not seem like a sensible investment. We have surely learned out lesson spending big on strikers who might only have 2-3 years left at the top (although unlike Aubameyang, Toney dos not rely on blistering pace. I can see him performing at a high level for much longer).
If we can get a deal done for closer to £40million (can Brentford be bullied to that low?) then we do not even need to think about it. He would be a great signing.
Both Osimhen and Toney would see Jesus return to the “back-up dancer” role that led him to leave Manchester City. But considering his injuries (44 games played, 22 missed for Arsenal), he will surely have to understand that he can not be relied upon for 50 games.
You can easily see Osimhen or Toney starting 40 games up top, with Jesus playing the other 10. Jesus would then start another 10-15 games as he is rotated with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka out wide, and then probably have another 20 substitute appearances. That will see him playing over 40 games!
Back up for Gabriel Jesus
If we are not yet done with Gabriel Jesus as our first choice striker, the other option will be to scout a 20-23 year old striker who we think could play at a similar level to Nketiah, but perhaps has a higher ceiling. This is where our scouts will earn their money.
Personally, there is no one in England right now who would excite me. There is a reason why Eddie has been called up to Gareth Southgate’s recent squad. If a player comes in to replace Eddie, they will probably have to be currently playing abroad.
Last summer, I looked at those who we might move for and non looked ready to step up and replace Eddie. Some players on my watch list have gone to another level, and I am sure that during the course of this season some new names will appear.
So who should we be currently watching?
Akor Adams – Montpellier – with 7 goals in 10 games for Montpellier, this has been the breakthrough season for the 6ft 3 Nigerian.
Prior to joining the French team in the summer, Adams had spent two seasons playing in Norway, scoring 22 goals in 36 league games. A physical presence, he turns 24 in January. Would one good season make him a better option than Eddie? My feeling is his level is similar to that of fella Nigerian Taiwo Awoniyi. One to wach still.
Elye Wahi – Lens – Lots of clubs were watching him last season, he ended up leaving Montpellier (do be repalced by Adams) and joined Lens.
He comes with a lot of baggage, but could much of that be put down to immaturity (most of his controversies occured as a 14/15 year old).
Just one goal in Ligue 1 this season (against 19 last). Only 20-years-old so clearly a talent. We would have to ensure he is not another Mario Balotelli.
Bryan Mbeumo – Brentford – I recently blogged on why Ivan Toney’s short term epalcement down the middle at Brentford could be a genuine option for us. Plays on the wing, plays down the middle. Having a very good season.
Santiago Giménez – Feyenoord – The Argentine forward has backed up a very good debut season in Europe this season. Now has 38 goals in 58 games for the Dutch team. He reminds me a lot of Olivier Giroud with his near post runs. He gives away some physicality in comparison to the Frenchman, but is certainly sharper.
Worry is for every Robin van Persie or Luis Suarez who have come across from Holland, there is a Afonso Alves, Luuk De Jong, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Sebastian Haller, Vincent Jansen or Memphis Depay.
Evan Ferguson – Brighton – The hype around the Irishman now seems to have died down a little.
After a hattrick against Newcastle that led some to claim he was a £100m man, he has done very little. – just the 1 goal for Brighton in the 9 games since. Will be a huge price tag for someone who has yet to show much consistency, but clearly has a lot of talent.
Loïs Openda – RB Leipzig – Cam onto my radar 12 months ago whilst keeping an eye on Balogun. Felt he was the same level as the English-turned-American whilst in Ligue 1. Whilst Balogun seems to have taken two steps backwards, Openda has gone up another level after his £35m move to Germany.
8 goals in 9 Bundesliga games, I wonder if we have “missed the boat” with him? Probably too good to be our number 2, but maybe not yet good enough to be our first choice. Would also cost £60m+.
That opinion could quickly change if he continues his fine form in the Bundesliga. Openda might become one of those that we class as “better than Jesus”.
There are a few options beginning to appear that were not really there during the summer.
The question now for the club is should we be looking to repalce Eddie Nketiah as secondchoice, or replace Gabriel Jesus as first choice.
My preference, today, is that we look to replace Gabriel Jesus as first choice. Go get Toney, Osimhen or (potentially) Openda. Jesus then becomes the back-up option, and also covers both wings. Eddie then departs for pastures knew, probably at Leicester City.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 