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Arsenal will look to get back to winning ways when they face Southampton at the St. Mary's Stadium on Saturday. Manager Mikel Arteta has suffered consecutive Premier League defeats to slip to fifth in the standings. They are three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, albeit with a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Agbonlahor believes the decision to offload Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Barcelona could cost the Gunners a top-four place. Elsewhere, Kevin Campbell has advised the north London team against signing an Everton striker.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on 15th April 2022:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang decision could cost Arsenal top-four place, says Gabriel Agbonlahor
Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor believes Arsenal's decision to offload Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could cost them a top-four place. The Gunners have lost three of their last four league games and are fifth in the points table.
Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor said that Arteta could miss out on fourth place, as he lacks a proven goalscorer in his team. He said:
"Yes, Arsenal have had a good season. Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have done well and scored some goals. But Spurs have Heung-min Son and Harry Kane, natural finishers and goalscorers. Arsenal don’t; that’s the reason they won’t finish in the top four; they don’t have a goalscorer."
He continued:
"The big problem for Arsenal is that Lacazette’s been poor, and he can’t be your only striker. The decision (to) let Aubameyang go was criminal. They should’ve kept him and maybe not started him if he wasn’t performing."
Agbonlahor added:
"This is where managers earn their money, get Aubameyang back in love with Arsenal and get him scoring goals. The big reason Arsenal will miss out on the top four is their strikers. It was a big mistake by Arteta."
Agbonlahor also pointed out that Arteta is paying the price for having Alexandre Lacazette as his only striker in the team.
"The longer it goes for Lacazette with a goal the harder it is to score as a striker. I’ve been there; your confidence is gone; you're snatching at shots. It was a ridiculous decision to have him as your only striker," said Agbonlahor.
While Lacazette has scored just once since the turn of the year, Aubameyang has been on fire at Barcelona, whom he joined in January, netting ten times across competitions.
Kevin Campbell advises Gunners against signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Gunners legend Kevin Campbell believes his former club should keep their distance from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Everton striker has been on a dismal run of form this season but has been linked with a move to the Emirates.
However, speaking to Football Insider, Campbell said that the Gunners need to target players who can have an instant impact in the team.
"Calvert-Lewin has to get himself going for Everton before thinking about transfers. This season has been such a difficult one for him. He’s been back for a little while now, and you can see that he is not quite right," said Campbell.
He continued:
"Arsenal cannot afford to be buying players who are out of form who cost huge amounts of money. We have to buy players who are ready to make an impact straight away. Players that are right on it. I’m not saying Calvert-Lewin isn’t good, but I’m sure there are better strikers out there that Arsenal could sign for cheaper as well. So I think that is the road they will go down."
Granit Xhaka wants to stay at Emirates
Granit Xhaka has said that he wants to build a better relationship with the fans. The Swiss midfielder is hardly the most popular figure at the Emirates and is expected to depart this summer.
However, speaking to The Player's Tribune, Xhaka revealed that he wants to stay with Arsenal till he achieves something special with the club, saying:
"I want to have a better relationship with the people outside, with the fans,” he said. “To be closer with them. We never meet them; we never have a conversation with them. They are only seeing us on the pitch, for 90 minutes, and goodbye. They don’t know how we trained before; they don’t know how you feel, they don’t know if you have problems with your family, they don’t know a lot of points," said Xhaka.
He continued:
“After the season, I still have two years contract here. I will give everything until I’m at this football club. I always say that. I didn’t sign a new contract to be here for… enjoy my time, and that’s it. No, no, I want to achieve something with this club, something special. And before that, I don’t leave."
