Tony Cascarino thinks Arsenal won’t buy someone as a ‘short-stop’ during the January transfer window as they look to fill the void of the injured Gabriel Jesus.
Arsenal’s leading number nine is set to spend some time on the sidelines after returning from the World Cup with Brazil with a knee injury.
The only issue for those in north London, there doesn’t seem to be an indication as to how long he will be out for because he is pivotal to Mikel Arteta’s style of play, with Eddie Nketiah as a back-up.
The Hale-End star recently signed a new long-term contract, and ahead of Arsenal’s Boxing Day fixture against West Ham United on their Premier League return, it seems as though it will be Nketiah who fills Jesus’ absence.
But former Republic of Ireland striker Cascarino questioned just how far you can ‘trust’ someone like Nketiah given the current position Arsenal find themselves in ahead of the winter transfer window opening, as he told talkSPORT.
“You gave Eddie Nketiah a new five-year deal,” said Cascarino. “You can trust to some level. But you are in a position, for nearly 20 years, you haven’t won the league and it’s a golden opportunity you can’t miss out on.
“I don’t believe Arsenal will buy someone as a short-stop, just to get someone in to try and give them something different. I don’t think they will do that because the blueprint of the football club is to be long-term success and create a team, which they have done. They have got a hell of a good side now.
“If someone becomes available and Arsenal were like ‘this was going to happen next summer, but we will do it earlier’, then I think they can – it depends how bad Gabriel Jesus is.”
WHO SHOULD ARSENAL SIGN?
Last January, Arsenal didn’t bring in any new faces and it cost them in their race to secure Champions League football.
But they can’t go down that same road this time around, with those in the Arsenal boardroom facing their biggest test as the Gunners sit top of the Premier League table.
Perhaps this is the time to push the boat out? Whilst Champions League football was the aim at the start of the campaign.
Not many expected Arteta and Co. to be in such a situation where they have only one defeat to their name ahead of the busy festive period.
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