Take a look at the Arsenal team and what do you see? The positives are a group of players full of potential. However, when comparing it to the club’s top-four rivals the absence of world-class players becomes very obvious.
Arsenal have been fighting for the Champions League qualification spots alongside a Tottenham team with Antonio Conte deploying Harry Kane and Heung-min Son. Ralf Rangnick, meanwhile, has relied upon Cristiano Ronaldo to claw his side back into the race with plenty of wildly expensive stars throughout the side.
Both sides have young players but importantly they can look up to those influential figures around them. Kane, Son and Ronaldo have been carrying the goal threat for their sides.
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Look to Arsenal and their top scorers are three players aged 21 and under. Emile Smith-Rowe, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have been the main source of goals and 23-year-old potential captain Martin Odegaard with one more than the Brazilian.
Arsenal are being linked to strikers which makes sense but a running theme is the ages of these players. Darwin Nunez, 22, Jonathan David, 22, and Victor Osimhen, 23.
There’s no doubt all three have their strengths and qualities, but perhaps the Gunners should be looking to a player who is a leader from their experience. Someone who can be a focal point of guidance as well as goals. An attribute that is developed with age.
Kane and Ronaldo provide these traits to their teams. In the crux moments, will a 22 or 23-year-old be able to make the difference? Very possibly. It is unfair to rule someone out because of their age.
But it would be fair to say that the chance of a player approaching or in their prime, and considered world-class or bordering on that level, would be a surer bet. The problem is their rarity.
The top strikers in and around their prime happen to already be at the top clubs. Paulo Dybala is an interesting option, especially considering his contract expires with Juventus this summer. That said, there is sure to be plenty of interest in a player moving for no transfer fee of the Argentinian's level, and Champions League football will perhaps be a necessity.
26-year-old Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick would be a player to cost the Gunners serious money, but they would be getting an equally serious player. Only Robert Lewandowski has more goals in the Bundesliga this season than Schick.
Having played in multiple leagues, with varying success, he is maturing now and judgements on his prior struggles should be put to rest. Schick is an international forward with characteristics that could transform the Gunners’ forward position.
Lastly is Brentford striker and fellow 26-year-old Ivan Toney. If you can get past the recent video controversies, which I personally am struggling with in all honesty, then from a footballing standpoint Toney represents a striker to make the successful step up to the top flight.
14 goals this season and five assists, brought to life even more by the arrival of Christian Eriksen, the Bees’ striker could be one to consider. He possesses the aerial threat, clinical finishing and the self-confidence to carry a side. A Premier League-proven player now who could be the one to take the Gunners’ striker position to that next level.
There will remain plenty of talk about who the potential player will be, however, bearing in mind their character and profile will be crucial. Goals alone are not always enough, they weren’t for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette and when they dried up, what was left has hurt the Gunners’ season.
