Emmanuel Petit suggests that Arsenal should spend a lot of money on two attackers who have the potential to be as good as Erling Haaland, but he advises against signing Alexander Isak.
Arsenal is looking for a new striker who can score many goals, especially since Gabriel Jesus has been dealing with frequent injuries. They have been considering players like Ivan Toney from Brentford, Isak from Newcastle United, and other up-and-coming talents in European football.
Petit thinks that Toney and Nico Williams from Athletic Club would be a great fit for Mikel Arteta’s system and recommends that Arsenal sign these two strikers.
“I really like Nico Williams and could play up front for Arsenal,” he told Genting Casino. “He’s very fast, can be an independent goalscorer, and combines with teammates. A lot of people said signing Haaland for Man City was a mistake, but the way they control the ball in the opponent’s half, they can create lots of chances for him.
“Arsenal need a 20-goals-per-season striker, they currently have a few players who can score 10-15 goals per season, like how Man City used to be. Pep Guardiola changed the system because he knew he needed a striker who could score lots of goals. In Erling Haaland’s first season, he broke goal-scoring records and won the Champions League. Mikel Arteta will follow the steps of Guardiola, the way their teams play and a striker would be a cherry on top of the cake. I think Nico Williams or Ivan Toney could score as many goals as Haaland does for Man City at Arsenal.”
Arsenal has shown a lot of interest in Isak, who was signed by Newcastle for a record fee of about £59 million ($69m) in 2022. The Swedish striker has scored 15 goals in 23 Premier League games, increasing his value to around £100m ($126m). However, Petit thinks that the player is not worth that high price.
“I don’t think it would be a good decision by Arsenal to buy Isak for a big price,” Petit said. “Arsenal’s transfer policy is very good, and they should keep their policy rather than fund clubs like Chelsea, Newcastle or those kinds of clubs. Arsenal shouldn’t splash their money like that. Isak would be a good addition to the squad, but there are players outside of England that could have the same impact.”
