Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness criticised Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign Kai Havertz last summer.
Despite an underwhelming campaign at Chelsea, Arsenal splashed a whopping £60 million fee to sign Kai Havertz on a five-year contract.
The Germany international has had a slow start under Mikel Arteta after being used as a midfielder and occasionally a no.9 when Gabriel Jesus was out of action.
With only five goals in 29 games so far this season, Havertz is yet to hit the ground running at the Emirates Stadium and Graeme Souness feels the Gunners needed a more established centre-forward last summer.
“I like Smith Rowe. As a midfield player running into the box, clever passes, everything seems to be done when he is sprinting which I like. Goal threat,” Souness told talkSPORT.
“Then you go spend £60m, Arteta. So the point I want to make is that £60m, I think is a fair criticism, you’ve spent…
“You know what I am on about, building a football team, you try to strengthen the weakest part of your team. I think for most people, Arsenal needed another striker with [Gabriel] Jesus.
“You go and take Kai Havertz from Chelsea for big money when really you’ve got a homegrown player that is every bit as good as him so that £60m should have been maybe directed towards a striker and that might cost them, a different kind of striker.”
Arsenal desperate for a striker
With Arsenal crashing out of the FA Cup and the EFL Cup recently, the North Londoners can only hope to keep up with Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League in search of a title this season.
HITC Football reported that Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke has been linked with a move to Arsenal after a sensational campaign with the Cherries.
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