Arsenal will face off against Erling Haaland and Manchester City once more in their quest for another Premier League title, amid ongoing debates about their striker situation following a transfer window that didn’t bring a new centre-forward.
Is there such a thing as the perfect striker? Yes, and his name is Erling Haaland. However, this doesn’t benefit Arsenal, as the Norwegian is already with their title rivals, Manchester City, with no indication of him moving, even as Real Madrid opted for Kylian Mbappe instead.
Haaland seems untouchable both on the pitch and in the transfer market.
As Arsenal prepares to challenge their formidable Premier League rivals again this season, Kai Havertz appears to be the primary striker for the Gunners.
Although Havertz didn’t seem to fit the role when he joined last summer, he has grown into it over the past season, and his performances have helped bolster his case.
Many believe Arsenal might be in a better position if they had pursued a different striker. To explore this, I consulted some of the sharpest minds available on short notice—Arsenal Twitter (though “Arsenal X” doesn’t quite have the same ring).
The question was straightforward: Of all the strikers Arsenal could have signed over the past three years, who would be leading the line for them now?
Naturally, responses included names like Erling Haaland, who realistically was never an option for Arsenal due to his move to Manchester City or potentially Real Madrid, especially considering Arsenal’s lack of Champions League football at the time.
Aside from such impractical suggestions, there were some notable names. One example is Viktor Gyokeres, who knows Arsenal showed interest in earlier this year, though no deal was struck with them or any other club.
