Why Mikel Arteta is open to surprise striker signing for Arsenal

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Mikel Arteta clapping and the Arsenal FC logo
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (Photo by Richard Heathcote, Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may reportedly have a slightly questionable solution to the club’s problems up front.

The Gunners clearly have issues finding the back of the net at the moment, having had plenty of possession and created plenty of chances in the defeats to Newcastle and Manchester United, but scoring just once in over 210 minutes of football.

So, Arsenal fans might be surprised to hear that one player Arteta might be tempted by in the transfer market is a centre-forward with just two goals in his last 22 games in all competitions.

Could Arsenal be set to OVERPAY for this Premier League forward?

The player in question is Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, according to the Independent, who state that Arteta is keen to bring in players with a certain physicality that he can shape and develop.

Apparently, Ferguson fits the bill for the Arsenal boss, but we’re not sure too many fans would back this move right now.

Evan Ferguson is surely not the answer to Arsenal’s problems

Brighton striker Evan Ferguson
Brighton striker Evan Ferguson (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

In fairness, the report also mentions that RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko is seen as a better fit, but the interest in Ferguson is certainly intriguing as well, as he might be a player who’s more realistically available without having to spend a fortune.

The Republic of Ireland international has shown tremendous potential at times in his relatively short career so far, and at the age of 20 he still has plenty of time to get out of this dry spell and improve again.

Perhaps Arteta would be the ideal manager to help Ferguson rediscover his best form and fulfil his potential, but it looks like a huge gamble to be taking at an important time.

Table showing Evan Ferguson's recent goal-scoring stats
Evan Ferguson has just two goals in his last 22 games (WhoScored)

Sesko has shown that he’s just what Arsenal need, and the Gunners surely need to be a bit more picky and bring in genuine world class talents who can guarantee goals straight away.

Ferguson might be one to watch for the future, but for the time being he needs to either get back to firing in the goals for Brighton, or perhaps go out on loan elsewhere to get his confidence back before he can think about bigger moves again.

More Stories Benjamin Sesko Evan Ferguson Mikel Arteta

15 Comments

  1. Should have learnt a lesson buying attackers out of form that are not scoring regular for their club, examples being the purchase of Havertz and Jesus when they had a poor goal record and out of form. They were not cheap either. Arteta could of brought a world class prolific striker for the money paid for Havertz and Jesus or just Havertz alone at a mad £65 million!
    Ferguson although young, would be another over cost purchase for a player similar to Havertz in not scoring goals and out of form.
    Look to players playing for teams like Atlanta, who outplayed Arsenal the last time they met, look at strikers like Lookman etc.. Who are proven in Europe and “always on form” etc.

    1. Have you forgotten that Havertz was actually bought in as a midfielder, unfortunately Jesus wasn’t scoring, so Havertz was moved to act as a forward. So complaining about his performance as a striker is a bit off. Arteta was wrong to not bring in a striker, but that’s not Havertz fault, he’s just trying his best to fill a role that the gaffer asks him to fill.

      The fault lies fully at Arteta’s feet for the lack of a good striker.

    2. Who are the world class strikers that have been available? Guys who walk in and guarantee 25+ goals from the off… There was no chance we’d have got Lewandowski, Haaland, Mbappe, Kane…

      The next level down is guys like Osimhen and Martinez, but both would have been ridiculously challenging. After that, there’s Gyokeres, Ollie Watkins, Thuram, Isak, Openda, Vlahovic. Below that, Morata, Boniface, Solanke, Sesko – but are they world class and prolific???

      I’d put Kai in the Gyokeres group. Jesus probably the next group, when fit. Realistically, Arsenal couldn’t afford better than Jesus in 2022, and Kai may have been the best option under £100 million in 2023. Vlahovic rejected us. Sesko rejected us. Gyokeres and Isak weren’t super interested in moving. Sometimes that’s because Arsenal do a bad job ‘selling’ the project, sometimes that’s just the players not wanting to move.

    3. Atalanta did not outplay arsenal man,we were also good but by then Jesus was fit.all we agreed on is we need a lethal striker plus winger and someone to help incase odegaard gets injured

  2. Arteta can go for Ferguson it’s not bad move sometimes a players form dip but it doesn’t mean he is not good anymore sometimes the club and the coach are the cause like in the case of Ferguson just a young player that is coming up you want and tag 100 million pounds on his head it must affect him he may not sleep the whole night it can make his blood pressure to rise so I feel Arteta can revive him again because he is a potential player with a future

  3. If Arteta does not insist on a player who is currently performing then this will send the wrong message to the fans and the team. Arsenal’s season and next year’s Champions League participation rest on a winger and a top centre forward .

  4. This Guy Fergusion is not the solution to our present precarious situation upfront, but if He can be bought on the cheap and we buy a technically gifted and scoring winger as well, then why not. Arsenal needs attackers fast. Any further delays might spell doom for this season…

  5. Arsenal need a top nine not Ferguson for now when time of buying player reach then we now doing what they like arsene Wenger blood is til running in your vain arteta.

  6. If Arteta chooses a Brighton player, he should be criticized; we can’t be misled by his ability to change what is not working into something fully functional by now. The examples are evident.

  7. Arteta is a baby coach useless and he wasted the kroenke’s money over five session and win only one f a cup is not good enough to lift arsenal in to another level

  8. One of the problems of Arsenal is Martinelli. He lacks brain. He passes a ball and stays put in the same position instead of taking a forward position that is not offside so he can receive the ball. He must be taught how to pass a ball back or side and move to a forward to receive the ball in an advanced forward position. He must learn how to pass and run in to receive in front.

  9. My question is after all the beautiful ball playing and pressing, WHY CANT ARSENAL PLAYERS SHOOT FOR CHRIST SAKES????
    Sake scores mostly from shooting or curling from that right side. Arteta TELL YOUR PLAYERS TO SHOOT. It may result to a goal, corner or penalty from handball. Just SHOOT you guys are so frustrating passing and passing. Hah!!!

  10. I don’t understand mikel plan..because Arsenal have a huge money why can’t we sign good players?¿????…I DON’T like Martinelli,Havtez,Starling, Kvior..WE have to sign another number ten to convert with Odegaard…I remember last season why lost Premier league because of Mikel..Am not happy at all with him

  11. Fergusion if that’s the best Arteta can do he should pack it in. He has had a few seasons knowing he needs a quality striker and what did he do he sat on his hands as if he afraid to buy a striker in case it didn’t work out.

  12. Arteta should be sacked,he is so frustrating, bringing in players cos of likeness,or did he think he can transform players to their best form, wasting our money for players not valuable. I don’t understand him anymore. Is he not tired? With those money he d spent on unvaluable players,he would have gotten better players,the likes of this guy then ,Barella,vlahovic,zubimendi,cancelo ,this are options for him, imagine this players on the pitch. Arghhhhhh

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