Arsenal ended their pre-season tour of Asia with a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Mikel Arteta’s side struggled to break down a stubborn Spurs defence and gifted a goal away just before the break when David Raya and Myles Lewis-Skelly allowed Pape Sarr to score from around 40 yards out.
The most concerning aspect for supporters would have been the lack of creativity in the side against a low block – mirroring flaws that cost Arsenal the Premier League title last season.
Despite the acquisitions of Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke in an attacking sense, the Gunners are still lacking firepower in the final third. Fans won’t be pleased to hear that Andrea Berta is now unsure over whether to pursue one of their creative targets.
Arsenal are interested in signing Eberechi Eze this summer but Berta is unsure whether to pursue a move for the Crystal Palace man given his price tag.
Eze has a release clause and stands to profit himself if his £68m deal is triggered by the close of play on August 1st 2025.
The Gunners are highly unlikely to trigger that clause given that they value Eze below that figure and now it has emerged that doubts are creeping in whether he is the target they want to pursue for the rest of this window according to journalist Dean Jones.
Jones stated: “Arsenal have been haggling to keep this below £68m. I’m still on the fence about whether Arsenal make this offer, there’s definitely a chance,
“But when I checked at the weekend even Andrea Berta didn’t know if they would do this deal, so if that’s what people are telling me about him, it’s hard for me to know anymore than the guy making the decisions.”
Arsenal are still intent on signing another forward option before the window closes but need to ensure some player sales occur before that can happen.
Eze himself is desperate to join Arsenal having been at the club’s academy as a youngster and dreams of playing Champions League football.
The display against Spurs would have worried Arteta and everyone associated with the club. Arsenal are not learning from past mistakes.
There are evident flaws in Arsenal defending set pieces and the balance of the team’s attack – an over-reliance on the right flank was once again nullified.
Eze was once described as ‘remarkable’ by former manager Roy Hodgson as per Crystal Palace’s official website, however, there are growing doubts over whether he is the type of player the Gunners need.
The England international would provide excitement to supporters but Arteta’s attack lacks pace and the ability to beat defenders in a one v one situation.
Gabriel Martinelli struggled up against Pedro Porro and unless there is space left in behind, his threat diminishes. It is time for Arteta to come up with another plan of attack.
