Striker conundrum

[swipe right]

We have an interesting period coming up in January. Auba will be away with Gabon. Laca has six months on his deal, so will be getting offers and the last chance to make some money off him. If both are gone, we will be lacking a striker for a critical period of 1-2 months.

The next option is Martinelli or Balogun. But they aren’t getting a steady run of games and have almost a decade less experience than the senior strikers.

We just signed a Danish kid called Mika Biereth who is on fire but he’s an academy player.

And of course we have two strikers on loan, Moller and John-Jules. Neither of whom are doing well.

I think we have no choice but to offer Laca a new deal.

[swipe right]

or sign a new one in January?

Will be difficult to sign and integrate mid season at such a critical time. I like Luca Jovic and he may be available but would rather Laca to be honest.

[VCC]

Needs to be a striker that can work in a pair, the relationship of Laca and Auba shouldn't be under estimated it keeps defenders close and opens up width for Saka and ESR,
IMO should stick with this system rather than buy a lone striker just to shoehorn a system

[swipe right]

Would you buy Michail Antonio? We could get him for a pinch in summer. Yes he’s 31 but boy is he in some form and he’d parter with Auba perfectly.

[VCC]

Would you buy Michail Antonio? We could get him for a pinch in summer. Yes he’s 31 but boy is he in some form and he’d parter with Auba perfectly.

Personally form is everything in any sport.
But having said that it needs to be someone with some longevity and as with Laca Auba do we gain anything in that age bracket, may as well keep Laca and Auba on board, sadly they have never in the past played in the situation they are now not often anyway

[Arsenal Tone]

or sign a new one in January?

Will be difficult to sign and integrate mid season at such a critical time. I like Luca Jovic and he may be available but would rather Laca to be honest.

Jovuc could be our annual Real Madrid loanee.

I think we should let Laca leave for free in the summer. He's on fire at the moment and might even change his mind and want to stay.

Get Jovic on loan to cover Auba. Then end the season with three top strikers. If Laca goes and Jovic is good then we have a ready made replacement who has already had time to adapt to the PL.

[Hypergooner]

Buy Ivan Toney now before he's worth double the price!
Poor mans Lukaku and has been brilliant in the lower leagues every season for years, now showing his quality in the prem.

[Hypergooner]

We need to reinvest our attack.

Auba is 32 and his deal expires summer after next. Laca is off in the summer. And Nketiah's deal expires in the summer too.

I think we're fine in terms of this season, just keep Laca until the summer then let him go on a free. We'll need him during AFCON. Then sort the attack out in the summer.

We definitely need to do something but the plans may depend on where we finish this season. Top strikers aren't going to sign for us without huge wages at the moment. If we somehow managed to sneak CL we will have a lot more options.

[swipe right]

Keep an eye on Mike Bierith. Boy is on fire.

[Arsenal Tone]

I still like the idea of jovic on loan in january

[Rockape]

We need to reinvest our attack.

Auba is 32 and his deal expires summer after next. Laca is off in the summer. And Nketiah's deal expires in the summer too.

I think we're fine in terms of this season, just keep Laca until the summer then let him go on a free. We'll need him during AFCON. Then sort the attack out in the summer.

We definitely need to do something but the plans may depend on where we finish this season. Top strikers aren't going to sign for us without huge wages at the moment. If we somehow managed to sneak CL we will have a lot more options.

Tbf we don't need a top striker and I don't think we'll go for a top tier striker anyway as they'll be second fiddle to Auba. A top striker will demand to be played every week and that'll mean shoe-horning both him + Auba into the team which creates an imbalance. It'll literally be the Lacazette-Auba situation all over.

The way I see it playing out:
- keep Auba until his contract expires
- let Laca leave in summer
- let Eddie leave in summer
- sign a promising young striker who is happy to be back up to Auba then takes over from Auba in summer 2023.

Good post. I agree with that, although I’d never turn down an opportunity to bring in a top Striker, after all PEA ain’t getting any younger.

[Highbury Hillbilly]

We aren't giving Balogun any chances, and Martinelli getting 10 mins here and there isn't going to move the needle. Eddie may be off next summer, not a natural successor either way.

I don't think DCL is the answer, he will be in crutches within a few days of joining us.

Raheem Sterling would be a coup, apparently he and Arteta get along well. But we need a CF more than a goalscoring winger IMO. Unless Arteta wants to go full Pep with no striker.

[Arsenal Tone]

It seems we're in the market for a striker in the next two windows, it's interesting to see what we'll do.

A loan like we did with Odegaard? Jovic?

An up and coming player from a lower team like we did with White? Toney?

We seem to have moved away from big money Pepe types. Vlahovic?

I wonder if there might be a totally unexpected rabbit pulled from the hat like we did with Tomiyasu. ???

We did so well last summer I'm hopeful we'll make another good signing.