Arsenal have missed out on the Premier League title to Manchester City for the second season running, finishing two points behind the champions despite the incredible campaign they had.
The Gunners will hope to do better next term and Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright believe they need to sign another top attacker like Bukayo Saka to go one better.
The England international forward ended 2023-24 with 16 league goals and nine assists, and while the likes of Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard also weighed in with decent returns of goals and assists, Arsenal really could do with another attacker capable of producing loads of goals and assists.
Carragher and Wright both agree the North Londoners need to improve their options on the left side of the attack while discussing what the Gunners need to do to win the league next term on the latest episode of The Overlap, with the Arsenal legend hoping for the type of partnership Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane had at Liverpool.
Carragher: “For me, when I look at Arsenal, they are missing a top attacker to go with Saka, who I think is fantastic. They need another one, whether that is through the middle or on the left.”
Wright: “Like you had Salah and Mane, that kind of vibe.”
Carragher: “It doesn’t have to be the middle guy, it could be like an unbelievable left winger who just takes you to another level.”
Arsenal conceded the least league goals this term but could not outscore Man City, which ultimately proved crucial in the race.
The 2-0 loss to Aston Villa in April proved costly, with goals in the 84th and 87th minutes condemning the Gunners to their fifth loss of the season.
However, they missed a big chance just before half-time with the score at 0-0, when Gabriel Jesus squared for Trossard to tap home.
The Belgium international was in the middle of the goal, two yards out with two-thirds of the goal to aim at, but Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made an unbelievable save by sending the ball over the bar with an outstretched leg.
While ten of the 12 league goals Trossard bagged were either an opener, equaliser or winner, his failure to deliver in such a crucial moment came back to bite Arsenal, and landing a top attacker this summer will go a long way going forward.
The Gunners already have a solid defence and midfield, but their attacking department could be better, and manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu have to get it right in the transfer window if they are serious about winning the title next term.
