Anzac wrote:

Ricky1985 wrote:

Imagine if we had a striker that could offer what Aubameyang and Lacazette give the team when played together? Basically, Haaland up front... but this is the wishlist not an alternate reality, so maybe Isaak or Vlahovic? Neither are the goalscorer that Aubameyang is, and I doubt they ever will be, but they give you enough of that, whilst also being able to work the flanks, occupy CBs, link with runners, put themselves about etc.

I love Aubameyang, but it could really take the team up a level next season.

How about Belotti or Jovic?

Belotti for me. I am a a big fan of him.

He is available for free in summer plus one of the most hardworking and determined strikers to add with his goals.

If we are looking for a younger option, Julian Alvarez has drawn up quite the interest among PL and Serie A teams:

mentalvortex wrote:

Anzac wrote:

How about Belotti or Jovic?

Belotti for me. I am a a big fan of him.

He is available for free in summer plus one of the most hardworking and determined strikers to add with his goals.

Haven't seen too much talk about him being 'linked' to anyone, whereas I have seen Jovic 'linked' to LFC of late.

I also see Vlahovic apparently wants to join Juve when he leaves Fiorentina at the end of the season.

All we need is a class striker and we’re set.

If this version of the 442 is here to stay then I say we need two. A Laca replacement next summer and then an Auba replacement in 2023.

I'd go for Toney as the Lacazette replacement and Adeyemi as the Auba replacement.

Oh and we need a bona fide partner for Partey. A Tchouaméni or Gravenberch type talent would be great.

flobaba wrote:

Nobody overrates Laca. Our shape and structure has been better recently with him playing than without him.

But you overrate Auba at this stage in his career. He’s steadily on the way down. We should’ve invested in someone on the positive slope of their career arc.

Yep. Laca is what he is but it works with him behind Auba and us bashing long balls up to him.

I do worry that come AFCON Arteta will move him to striker though and I'd much rather we kept this shape and went with a like for like swap and had Eddie lead the line.

Jed wrote:

All we need is a class striker and we’re set.

We have so many areas with weaker players than Auba. Almost every position could use an upgrade more.

Vlahovic just got his 25th goal this calendar year. He's been outrageously good for a shit Fiorentina side, just 21 years old although you have to worry what they're feeding him because how does this look like a 21 year old endurance athlete

Like every other Fiorentina talent in forever for some reason he prefers a move to Juventus anyway

Jesus he looks about 40, man's aging in dog years.

I think Leao at at Milan could turn into a fantastic forward. Some of the stuff he does with the ball is just filthy. Zlatan loves him too which is a positive indicator.

Tambourine Man wrote:

If this version of the 442 is here to stay then I say we need two. 

It could well be that the only reason we are playing 442/4411, is the need to play 2 CF to do the job required that could be done by 1 who can hold the ball/link as well as lead the attack and score goals.

That said I'm not against the idea of playing a 2 ST attack, or even a linking CF with a goal scoring CAM/SS.  
IMO this is where we went wrong re the Giroud-Ozil combo at CF & CAM.  
Previously I thought the likes of Fekir could be a scoring CAM playing off a linking CF, but I think that time has passed for him being an option, and probably even more so if Arteta still wants to play a 433.

Clrnc wrote:

Yeah I would agree with that, although I would prefer Vlahovic over Toney for Lacazette replacement, but he is already out of our range. I think Adeyemi is also out of our range already. Toney and Osimhen will be gettable but expensive. Schick and Nunez will be good options too. Plenty of strikers out there to get as long as we pay up.

Literally need just that top striker and Tchouameni to be set for the next few years as a squad.

by the looks of it we need a forward with strong ability to bring others into play, rather than a vardy/auba off the shoulder type

Clrnc wrote:

Yeah have to say Gazidis has rebuilt Milan well. Very smart signings

Isn't it Paolo Maldini's that's technical director? Gazidis is just the chief executive, no? He doesn't choose the players. It'd be like praising Vinai for our rebuild.

I follow Milan quite a bit and the reasons for their recent nascent aren't easy to pin down. Really they have a bunch of talented players but there's no real reason they should be doing this well. Gazidis made a bunch of dodgy calls like hiring Boban and Maldini shortly after taking over as CEO then trying to ditch those two and Pioli for Rangnick (and eventually sacking Boban) without landing the German. He also initially vetoed signing Ibrahimovic again.

If there's any single factor for why they're doing well it's probably Ibra. Pioli who's a dodgy coach anyway was about to get the sack when Ibra came back and him and Rebic who finally got into the team started firing them up the table. Their squad was on the brink of being CL level several times in the years before but it only all came together the winter they signed Zlatan.

Jonathan David.