Arteta’s transfer priority made clear as Arsenal crash to Porto defeat

Robin Bairner

• 22 Feb 2024 06:48 GMT
• 3 min read

Mikel Arteta made it clear during Arsenal’s 1-0 Champions League loss against Porto that he plans to sign a striker in the summer – and it was also evident during that encounter why that is necessary.

Arsenal started the encounter in Portugal without a natural No.9. Sure, Leandro Trossard has played the position for Arteta in the past, scoring in back-to-back Premier League games against West Ham and Burnley, but this is not where he is at his best.

Arteta did have a forward at his disposal in the form of Eddie Nketiah, but the 24-year-old didn’t see the pitch in a competitive sense. Indeed, he has been almost apologetically used in recent weeks to provide support from the bench when matches have long been won, having failed to score since October.

With Gabriel Jesus out of action, Nketiah out of favour and Trossard out of position, Arsenal are without a genuine No.9.

This manifested itself in a first half on Wednesday in which they failed to muster any type of shot whatsoever. Over the match as a whole, they offered just five shots, two of which were blocked and none of which tested Diogo Costa in the home goal.

Arsenal run out of goals

Having hit 11 in their last two Premier League matches with Trossard in attack, the lack of centre-forward was not their only problem - there was also the naïve and cagey approach – yet the role it played was undoubted.

Arsenal were seeking a centre-forward in the January transfer window at the right price. None came along. Dusan Vlahovic and Victor Osimhen were priced too high, while Marcos Leonardo moved to Benfica and was arguably a project for the future in any case. Incidentally, he has four goals in 145 minutes of action in Portugal.

It will be in this position that the Gunners target spending in the summer, with Nketiah clearly on his way out.

Vlahovic is one to watch, with Arteta a long-time fan of the Juventus forward, but while the identity of who Arsenal chase is as yet unclear, what is certain is that there will be some movement. This time around, there simply has to be.