Arsenal under Mikel Arteta has begun to compete for major titles again, bringing back the glory days and reminding the world of how powerful the North London-based club is.
The Gunners fell short of winning the league in the 2022/23 season after being on top of the table for the major part of the season, before losing the title to Manchester City.
In preparation for the 2023/24 Season Arsenal completed a £105M in the summer for Midfielder Declan Rice and the English International has gone on to elevate the team, putting them once again in the mix of title Contenders alongside Liverpool and Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s sporting director Edu, are already preparing their summer targets ahead of the 2024/25 season and it’s been reported that the Gunners will be looking to bring in new bodies to the team including a formidable Center forward who will help raise the Gunners attack, and contribute to the effective output of both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
The Gunners have struggled to find a lethal center forward to lead their attack, with Brazilian international Gabriel Jesus struggling with injuries and characterized by being inconsistent in front of goal, and Eddie Nketiah failing to make a name for himself at Arsenal, the club has decided to bring in a new Attacker in the summer.
The Arsenal Boss has lined up several names to be his next Striker, with Football Transfers reporting that Serbian Attacker Dusan Vlahovic is Mikel Arteta’s preferred option for the number nine position.
As per the report, Mikel Arteta has been a long-time admirer of the 24 years old Juventus Star and tried to bring him to the Emirates in the Winter of 2022, in response to questions about his interest in the 6ft 3in Attacker, the Spanish tactician said “Arsenal has always been interested in the best players and the situation has not changed” affirming his interest in the Attacker, but Vlahovic who at that point was in Fiorentina opted for a switch to Italian Giants Juventus.
The Serb will reportedly also come cheaper than other top European Attackers like Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney, who have been linked to Arsenal.
Hailed as “One of the best Strikers in the world alongside Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe” by manager Max Allegri, One of the most compelling reasons for Arsenal to pursue Vlahovic is his brilliant goal-scoring record. Vlahovic currently has found the back of the net 15 times in 24 games, in comparison to Arsenal’s Current Strikers Gabriel Jesus has registered just 4 goals and 3 assists in 19 league appearances, while Eddie Nketiah has 5 goals and 2 assists in 24 league appearances.
The former Fiorentina Attacker is averaging 0.6 goals per game, and he boasts of 3.6 shots per game with 1.3 being shots on target, Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, in contrast, each average 0.2 shots per game, with the former having 2.2shots a game and 0.9 being shots on target per game, while the latter averages 1.5 shots per game with 0.5 shots being on target a testament of the Serb being an upgrade on either Strikers.
Dusan Vlahovic moving to Arsenal also offers him the chance to capitalize on Martin Odegaard’s creative abilities. The Norwegian midfielder has been a brilliant figure in the middle of the park for the Gunners, and in Europe’s top 5 leagues at large as he leads the chart in chance creation from Open play, this season.
For Vlahovic this partnership could potentially bolster his attacking output, playing alongside one of Europe’s most elite chance creators promises to elevate his output.
Dusan Vlahovic has all the attributes to thrive at Arsenal and become a fan favorite at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal’s pursuit of success relies on strategic player acquisitions like Vlahovic, and with the right addition coupled with Mikel Arteta’s tactical brilliance the Gunners can anticipate a brilliant Attack in the coming season.
