Probably.

I don’t think spending what it would take to get him is the best use of our funds

    Post this season I’d say we’re a better bet to win the champs league than Liverpool - their cycle is coming to an end

      lorddulaarsenal football is about scoring goals. we have some issues behind the striker we can solve in how we bring the ball up. but when you are in the final third, you want players who will consistently have an advantage versus defenders - they need to have a real spike, like being faster (Michael Owen), stronger (Shearer), trickier (Vini), better into getting space (Thomas Mueller), and use these attributes to create open shots for themselves. Isak can do this with his speed and spatial awareness. the thing that is consistently apparent when i watch us is how only Saka is reliably able to make his own shots. the rest are dependent on movement, which is tough when you're facing a low block

          Claudius Agreed completely. Saka, Nwaneri and Jesus are really the only players we have that reliably create shots for themselves (and only Saka and Nwaneri have the requisite ball striking ability to take advantage of that). We desperately need to add these two qualities (shot creating ability and ball striking ability) to our front-line this summer.

          I am loving seeing some stories about how we have been scouting Jamie Gittens this year - he's got both abilities and we need to get in on him this summer before he really blows up next year IMO. He also is pretty two-footed which makes it much easier to get shots off when you don't have to always figure out a way onto your strong foot. Semenyo is another who has both abilities and I think he would be a great signing this summer. Williams has shown flashes of both but his conversion rate this year is awful compared to Gittens/Semenyo. Barcola would be the dream but I just don't foresee PSG letting him go or him forcing their hand this summer. All of these guys can get their shot whenever they want and are good ball strikers.

          It's also why I am really starting to think Ekitike would be a better move than Sesko. Ekitike is agile like Isak and looks like he can get himself free to shoot easier than Sesko, who is a lot more robotic in his movements. But I also think that if we added another shot creator on the left, with Saka on the right and potentially more time for Nwaneri in the attacking midfield, we could likely be fine with guys like Havertz/Sesko up top. Personally, I hope that if we add Sesko, we really look to pry Barcola away and if not, potentially bring in both Gittens and Semenyo. A Sesko/Barcola or Sesko/Gittens/Semenyo summer in the attack would set us up very nicely next year. Ekitike in there instead of Sesko would be even better IMO but I feel like we're pretty committed to Sesko at this point.

              samthegooner Saka, Nwaneri and Jesus are really the only players we have that reliably create shots for themselves (and only Saka and Nwaneri have the requisite ball striking ability to take advantage of that).

              It's not that Jesus doesn't have ball striking ability, it's that after creating room for a shot for himself, he decides to turn again, more often than not, back into the same defender he already turned. And it's definitely a mental thing, poor guy is just fragile mentally.

                  Big Willie I don't see him strike through a ball that often when he does shoot though. Regardless, we aren't going to be able to rely on him much moving forward until 2026 anyways. Trossard has the ball striking (although hasn't shown it as often this year) but isn't able to get free as easily.

                    @samthegooner -- you're winning me over on Ekitike!

                    That said, I do think Sesko is a very willing runner and could wreak havoc by getting onto through balls from Odegaard. The issue is that we're seeing teams sitting deeper and deeper vs us, and those chances are disappearing.

                      In regards to Zubimendi not exciting a few of us -- I would imagine that has as much to do with concerns around him (further) slowing down our game, rather than his quality. Zubimendi at 8 and Rice at 6 feels like another season of Arteta horseshoe ball with results overly reliant on Odegaard/Saka going off. I don't see that midfield improving our left flank or easing the pressure on our CF.

                        MistaT I agree- either one of them will make us better IMO. I just love Ekitike's ability on the ball from what I've seen this year. He moves just like Isak to me. Sesko does look to be the better finisher but there's just something about me that makes me concerned he might not have that alpha personality that a top striker needs. But I'll take either of them happily this summer.

                            Yeah I think we all would be.

                            Sesko available for £62-66 million according to Sky. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13321953/benjamin-sesko-transfer-rb-leipzig-striker-attracting-premier-league-interest-as-release-clause-revealed

                            Good to hear Spurs have little chance 😆 I think Sesko is the 1 Arteta wants. 6"5 and pretty quick. His poundland Haaland. Seems to score a nice variety of goals as well but will certainly take him time to adapt to the PL and I don't think he would hit the ground running but he should have lots of room for improvement and growth

                            I only saw him at the Euros like most strikers thought he wasn't able to do much without the service however, he is still very young, physically impressive and won't be carrying the burden alone. Being able to share it with Havertz should ease some of the pressure on both of them.

                            Even if he flops he is young enough that we probably would be able to recoup a good chunk of our money. So just get it done basically.

                            Newcastle are never selling Isak don't even bother wasting our time.

                              Panda His poundland Haaland.

                              Sadly not cheaper than Haaland though! 😂

                              All things considered though, I'd say that's a decent price in this market. See no reason why won't get him in the summer unless we decide to move for someone else.

                                Osimhen would get injured after about 15 minutes of Premier League football.

                                Links to Frenkie as an alternative to Kimmich who now looks to be staying at Bayern.

                                Nico, Zubimendi, Frenkie, Lautaro and Garcia would be an epic summer

                                  If we can't do Nico get Lookman. We need goals

                                  If we are to continue to play in to wide attackers feet and expect them to beat players one on one those two would be perfect. Semenyo too.

                                  Lautaro would be ace as he has that spikey determined to win attitude plus he has exceptional finishing. We lack that so much

                                  Lautaro does seem a miss.

                                  Felt like he was available a year or two back.

                                  Would go for Watkins/Osinenhen now and in a season or two, look at resigning Biereth. Would also love to get Camavinga from Real.

                                  A few other players that have caught my eye over the season, some of whom already on wishlists.

                                  Ait Nouri from Wolves as a LB, Wharton for CM as domestic options.

                                  Ritsu Doan as a CM from Freiburg, and Adeyemi as a versatile forward and Jamie Gittens from Dortmund.

                                    Need to get at least one winger from the group of: Nico Williams, Antoine Semenyo, Jamie Gittens, Bradley Barcola, Ademola Lookman. All of these are players that can create their own space to get a shot off and are decent to good ball strikers.

                                    Need a CF from the group of: Sesko, Isak, Ekitike, Osimhen. Players that are comfortable as focal points of an attack with the skills to bring other players into play but also the requisite finishing ability to score the goals we need from that position and give CBs something to think about centrally. We've sorely missed this since Kai went out and even when he was here, his finishing is always streaky.

                                    If we come out of the summer without at least one of these wingers (ideally I'd get one from that group and then a promising younger prospect like Dibling, Nusa or one of the emerging talents in Ligue 1) and a top CF, then it will be a failure regardless of any additional reinforcements across the pitch. I'm optimistic we will do it though.

                                    My pie-in-the-sky dream summer would be Ekitike/Sesko, Semenyo, Gittens. Add those 3 to our attack and we are title winners IMO.

                                    I'd rather go big on Wirtz and get a young dribbly prospect for numbers.

                                      I don't watch enough Bournemouth to know, but I was chatting to an Arsenal fan in the gym yesterday and he was quite hot on Justin Kluivert - what do people think?

                                        Pepe LeFrits I'd love Wirtz but don't think it's realistic for us right now in lieu of adding numbers in attack. This is where not bringing in Sesko and Williams last summer bites us because Wirtz would be the next step this summer if we had been able to strengthen the attack last summer. I understand why it didn't happen - can't make these guys move (although hopefully someone like Berta can change that), but it might have set the project back a season IMO.

                                            samthegooner who knows how realistic Wirtz is given that City have just announced that they are dumping KDB, Gundogan, Silva and that waste of money Grealish this summer. Complete rebuild. That means they have to get Wirtz. But if he should slip through their hands, then we have take him. He is a baller beyond comprehension. I'd rather get him and think about traditional forwards later on