Jamie Carragher says Arsenal may now need a player of Vinicius Junior or Julian Alvarez’s calibre to improve a squad that is already among the strongest in the Premier League.
The Premier League champions strengthened their squad during the summer, signing Bruno Guimaraes, Piero Hincapie, Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier as they aimed to build a team capable of defending their title.
However, Arsenal also allowed several attacking players to leave. Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus were among the notable departures, leaving supporters concerned about whether the team has enough quality and depth in the final third.
Arsenal had been linked with Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior and Atletico de Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, but neither deal materialised. Carragher believes either player could have made a significant difference to the club’s prospects of retaining the Premier League title.
“They have got really good strikers. I like Kai Havertz and I think Mikel Arteta likes him, as well,.”
Carragher also discussed Viktor Gyokeres, who has made only one appearance so far this campaign and is yet to score.
“(Viktor Gyokeres) has been what most people felt he would be when he came — not quite elite but he can still score goals in certain games.’ Gyokeres has made just a single appearance so far this campaign and is yet to open his account.
The former Liverpool defender said Arsenal’s recruitment had been strong overall, but suggested the club had been unable to add the kind of individual who can decide important matches on his own.
“They needed someone to be a gamechanger. They tried to get Vinicius Junior, they tried to get Alvarez – that’s the calibre of players.
“It’s very hard to improve Arsenal now because they are such a good team, such a strong squad. So you’re talking about a world class player as the only one that can improve them.”
Arsenal’s defensive unit is regarded as one of the strongest in world football, but Carragher feels their attack lacks the same level of threat. The concern has been heightened by the number of forwards who left the club during the summer.
The departures could prove costly if Arsenal are to challenge all the way through the season. While the club’s existing forwards remain capable of contributing goals, Carragher’s assessment is that only a genuinely world-class addition would represent a clear improvement to Mikel Arteta’s team.
The failure to sign either Vinicius Junior or Julian Alvarez means Arsenal begin the campaign without the headline attacking addition many supporters had hoped to see. For Carragher, the issue is not necessarily a lack of quality across the squad, but the absence of a player able to change the course of a game when the pressure is at its highest.
