Teddy Sheringham believes Arsenal’s first league title in 22 years puts Mikel Arteta’s side in a strong position to recruit elite players as the club searches for a top striker.
The former Manchester United striker said Arteta was following the example set by Sir Alex Ferguson, who regularly strengthened his Premier League-winning teams while preserving the continuity that had made them successful.
“Arsenal are in a leading position now, so top players will prioritize them over Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the team is constantly improving,” said Sheringham.
He argued that the manager’s success had changed Arsenal’s appeal in the transfer market. Winning the title, he said, could give the club an advantage when competing for players who might previously have favoured Europe’s biggest clubs.
“Arteta is doing what Sir Alex Ferguson used to do: continuing to bring in new players after the team reaches a high level while maintaining continuity within the club,” Sheringham added. “We’ve already seen this with Konsa and Guimaraes. They are both excellent signings who can keep Arsenal moving forward.”
Sheringham also suggested Arteta could use his previous connections at Manchester City to explore potential signings. Arteta worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City before taking charge of Arsenal, and Sheringham believes that experience could prove valuable.
“Arteta must have targeted at least two or three Manchester City players,” he said. “He was very familiar with many people when he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City. Haaland? Cherki? Semenyo? He must have already called them directly to inquire about possibilities.”
The names mentioned by Sheringham include Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo, although he did not say that Arsenal had made formal approaches for any of them.
Sheringham recalled that Ferguson used a similar direct approach during his time at Manchester United, including when he considered players from Liverpool.
“Ferguson would have done the same back then. He would have made immediate inquiries,” Sheringham said. “Think about how many top players he tried to sign from Liverpool over the years, including Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, and Robbie Fowler.”
He added that Ferguson would still have made contact himself if he were managing in the current era.
“If Ferguson were still coaching, he would definitely ask directly,” said Sheringham. “As for whether Haaland thinks Manchester United isn’t good enough, that’s another matter.”