Arsenal finished runners-up to Manchester City for the second consecutive Premier League season, and now they face a crucial summer to end their 21-year league title drought.
Jamie Carragher believes Arsenal need two key players to finally surpass Manchester City’s elite squad. After finishing second again, the Gunners must focus on a transformative summer transfer window to compete with Pep Guardiola’s dominant team. Since Guardiola’s arrival, City has secured four consecutive Premier League titles and six in the last seven years.
Carragher argues that Arsenal needs a new left-back and a top-tier attacker to support Bukayo Saka. “I think they need two players,” Carragher told Metro.co.uk. “They need a left-back and I think they need a great attacker.”
Last season, Oleksandr Zinchenko was Arsenal’s primary left-back, but his inconsistent performances and injuries left the position vulnerable. Takehiro Tomiyasu often replaced Zinchenko by season’s end. Despite joining Arsenal in 2022, Zinchenko has been rumored to move away from the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal’s attacking options include Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Leandro Trossard. Despite scoring 91 goals last season—only five fewer than City—the Gunners fell short after a crucial loss to Aston Villa. Carragher believes adding another “top talent” to bolster Saka’s potential could make a significant difference.
“In some ways, throughout a lot of the season, they were the best team,” Carragher said. “When you look at the goals they scored, the xG difference, and how strong they were defensively.”
However, Carragher notes that City’s superior players like Foden, Haaland, and De Bruyne give them an edge. “Arsenal just don’t have that quality at that end of the pitch. That’s why they need a top attacking player,” he added.
Carragher suggests that Arsenal doesn’t necessarily need a new centre-forward. “Sometimes you can have a goalscorer who plays wide. Salah is like that for Liverpool. Mane was like that in the past. I just think they need another top attacking player to go alongside Bukayo Saka.”
“If they got another top attacker, you look at those five or six names, it is pretty tasty,” Carragher concluded.
