Owen Hargeaves is unsure why Arsenal didn’t attempt to sign Victor Osimhen within the January transfer window to supply an answer for his or her lack of a natural goalscorer.
Arsenal’s lack of innovative was there for all to see again at Old Trafford on Sunday as Mikel Arteta’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester United.
While Declan Rice cancelled out Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick, it was the Gunners who were perhaps fortunate to flee with a degree when David Raya reacted superbly to disclaim Fernandes a second in injury time.
However the draw now means Arsenal are winless of their last three Premier League games and trail runaway leaders Liverpool by a whopping 15 points.
Injuries to key attackers have little question hampered the Gunners’ title aspirations within the second half of the season, with Mikel Merino forced to deputise as a central striker in recent weeks.
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However the club were also slow to hunt reinforcements in January, with their only notable bid for a striker – Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins – rebuffed in the ultimate week of the window.
The Gunners are more likely to renew their seek for a world-class striker this summer, with Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko said to be top of their wishlist.
But Hargreaves is unsure why the club didn’t try harder to sign a striker in January to maintain their title bid alive and said they need to have tested the waters with a bid for Galatasary striker Osimhen.
‘If you happen to take a look at Arsenal, they’ve a player like Declan Rice in every position other than up there [in attack] and it’s a very powerful position. But there are guys on the market,’ Hargreaves told Premier League Productions.
‘Osimhen is on loan in Turkey. Even when it was for six months like that, it gives you a window and an audition to see if it matches.
‘You take a look at the business Aston Villa did in January – Marcus Rashford, Asensio, Disasi – crazy amount of business.
‘If you happen to don’t ask, you don’t get, and I believe Arsenal are this near anything you would like, but you would like someone up there to take the load of others. I actually think they simply must push the boat out in the summertime and get someone.’
The Nigerian international, on loan from Napoli, has scored 17 goals in 21 league appearances to assist put his side seven points clear at the highest of the Super Lig table.
Speaking last month, the 26-year-old said he was uncertain what the long run held for him amid reports that Manchester United and Chelsea are keen on acquiring his services.
‘To be honest I don’t know,’ Osimhen said about his future in Turkey. ‘You already know the previous couple of months, no one ever thought I’d come here, I never believed I’d come to Galatasaray despite how big they’re.
‘I live for the moment. I don’t know what’s going to occur in the summertime, but I would like everybody to grasp that I actually love this club.
‘I like the fans, I like the President, I like everyone related to the club. It’s really an enormous deal to be here and I’m really having fun with my time here.’
Ian Wright, meanwhile, said a striker within the mould of England captain Harry Kane would have kept Arsenal within the title race by this stage of the season.
‘Declan Rice is someone who plays with Harry Kane (with England),’ Wright said. ‘He sees someone who has one likelihood and scores.
‘I’m not saying you may put Harry Kane on this team but you set a Harry Kane type of player on this team and Arsenal are going to be closer to Liverpool, little question about it.
‘That sort of ending – something out of nothing, free-kicks, headers? Harry Kane gives you easily 12 points by this point within the season to maintain you right alongside Liverpool.’
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