The transfer decision that could make or break Arsenal’s title hopes

28 Jul 2024 13:00 CDT
4 min read

Mikel Arteta will be hoping to make it third time lucky in his attempt to beat Manchester City to the Premier League title but Arsenal’s title hopes could come down to decision made over one player this summer.

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The Gunners have narrowly missed out on the title to City in the last two seasons and Arteta has been aggressive in trying to ensure his side have no excuses with their squad for next season.

Arsenal are expected to complete the €45 million signing of Riccardo Calafiori in the coming days, while they lead the chase for Mikel Merino, having also entered talks for Fabian Ruiz as Arteta searches for a midfield partner for Declan Rice.

EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal in pole position to sign Mikel Merino

However, one of the most polarising positions in Arsenal’s squad has been up front, with Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Eddie Nketiah all being used as a number nine last season.

Arsenal were expected to heavily pursue a striker this summer but their attention appears to be focused elsewhere after seeing top target Benjamin Sesko opt to remain at RB Leipzig.

And Arteta now appears to be keeping the faith with Jesus, piling the praise on the 27-year-old after he netted in the club’s pre-season friendly against Manchester United.

© IMAGO - Gabriel Jesus has proven a polarising figure at Arsenal since his arrival in 2022.

Arteta: Jesus has changed over the summer

Arsenal scored 91 times in their 38 Premier League games last season but just nine of those goals came from Jesus and Nketiah, while Havertz netted 13 despite a slow start to the campaign.

Comparatively, City scored five more goals than Arsenal, with striker Erling Haaland netting 27 times – more than all of Arsenal’s number nines combined – highlighting the narrow margins at stake in a title race.

Compared

VS

2023/2024

Season Statistics

2023/2024

45	Appearances	36
38	Goals	8
6	Assists	8
40	Key Passes	39
3777	Minutes Played	1918
527	Passes	636
179	Shots Total	71

However, despite the inconsistency of all his strikers, Arteta hinted that he would persist with Jesus after seeing the Brazilian recover from injury with a new edge to his game.

“It is a fact (he has changed) and you can see,” Arteta said. “The way he looks, his rhythm, his sharpness, the way he is moving. You can see in his eyes as well that there is again some spark there because he has now got a point to prove and that is good."

Arteta insisted that Jesus’ progress was less to do with the Arsenal’s potential pursuit of a new forward and more about the player’s internal growth.

“I think that motivation has to come within himself, with his self demands and how much better he is able to make the team. He has shown it,” Arteta said. "If he is waiting for something external to motivate him, I think it is going to be for a really short period. If it's something internally that is happening, that is going to last long and it is going to be consistent. Hopefully that is the case."

The reliance on Jesus could prove to be the difference maker in Arsenal's title hopes and the ex-City man will need to bounce back from his worst-ever Premier League campaign last year in order to repay Arteta's faith and prove that he was the number nine the club needed all along.