Arsenal have been credited with interest in a new name this summer, as Mikel Arteta looks to continue improving his squad following a second consecutive disappointing end to a fantastic season.
Gunners on the hunt for firepower
Despite ending the season with the most goals scored in their Premier League history, it seems as though Arsenal are not satisfied with their options at the top of the pitch.
Kai Havertz impressed after being moved to the no.9 role, but there is an expectation that Eddie Nketiah will depart this summer after the Englishman failed to make a Premier League start in 2024, while Gabriel Jesus could also be on the move after another injury hit campaign.
Options used by Mikel Arteta at striker this season
Starts at striker
Goals/assists
% of striker minutes played (out of 3420)
Kai Havertz
12
15
30%
Gabriel Jesus
12
8
30%
Eddie Nketiah
10
7
31%
Leandro Trossard
4
4
9%
“It is that simple [that Arsenal need a number nine],” ex-West Ham captain Nigel Reo-Coker told BBC Radio 5 Live on the Premier League final day. “You can see why they have been linked with Alexander Isak from Newcastle because they need that.
“When you think they lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Arteta says 'we don't have a striker who is going to score 25 goals' – there is your answer. He knows it. The top teams need that in their side.”
They have been linked with several strikers; Ivan Toney, Victor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and most recently Benjamin Sesko have all been mooted as targets for the Gunners as they look to bolster their frontline ahead of the new season. Now, a new name has been thrown into the mix.
Arsenal chase Eredivisie star
That comes courtesy of The Independent, who report that although Isak is the "preferred option", "there is an awareness that Newcastle would likely refuse to sell" their talismanic figure.
As a result, they claim that "the next most likely option" is Ajax striker and former Manchester United target Brian Brobbey, who has enjoyed a fantastic season on a personal level.
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Though his side have struggled as a whole, the 22-year-old has found the back of the net on 18 occasions in the top flight, as well as grabbing an impressive 10 assists. His talents were spotted early by Liverpool defender and Netherlands icon Virgil van Dijk, who singled him out for praise all the way back in 2022.
“I think he’s a great boy. He is a great talent and basically has everything. He is fast, strong and can finish well", the centre-back explained.
That same year, he turned down a move to Manchester United in favour of a return to Ajax after a failed spell at RB Leipzig, as he later revealed.
"Erik ten Hag called me and said that at United, my agent would get millions of euros and I could earn a multiple of my Ajax salary,” he explained. “But our decision was clear: we wanted to go to Ajax."
It proved the right decision, despite taking home just £49,000 a week in Amsterdam as opposed to the fee he could have landed at Old Trafford, and he once again turned down the chance to swap Amsterdam for Old Trafford in the most recent January transfer window, though he has since admitted he would now be open to the move.
With Champions League football on offer at the Emirates Stadium, it could be finally time to head to England should the opportunity arise, and he could be just the player the Gunners need to finally beat Manchester City to the Premier League crown.