"I'm saying it now because it's come into my head" - lan Wright mentions signing Arsenal should have made instead of Riccardo Calafiori

Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes the Gunners should have gone for a striker instead of spending €45 million on defender Riccardo Calafiori last summer. Wright also argued that the progress of Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back should have dissuaded Arsenal from moving for the Italian.

Following the Gunners’ 3-1 aggregate defeat in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Wright shared his observation. He said (via TBR Football):

“We got Calafiori from Bologna and he’s had problems with injuries. You think to yourself was that the priority? I’m saying it now because it’s come into my head. That window was the one where we should’ve been looking hard for a striker. Especially with the emergence of Lewis-Skelly in that sort of Calafiori role anyway, left-back into midfield that Calafiori can do. Myles can do that and that’s the window I would look back at.”

The Gunners have struggled in the absence of a world-class striker to add to long-term injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. They have often had to rely on the individual brilliance of players like Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

The absence of a target man hurt them in the UCL semifinal against PSG as well. Arsenal created 19 chances in the second leg but converted only one of them.

Meanwhile, Lewis-Skelly has recorded 39 appearances at left-back, while Calafiori, who has struggled with injuries, has only made 27 outings across competitions.

“Inside the boxes, over the two games, we weren’t good enough” - Arsenal captain on their exit from the UCL

PSG v Arsenal - UEFA Champions League - Source: Getty

Following their elimination from the UCL, Martin Odegaard admitted that the Gunners weren't good enough with their finishing. He also lauded PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma for his excellent saves.

Odegaard stated after the game (via Afcstuff on X):

“Inside the boxes, over the two games, we weren’t good enough. Credit to their goalkeeper as well, who made amazing saves. It wasn’t enough & that’s painful.”

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The Gunners will return to action in the Premier League on Sunday, May 11, against Liverpool. Arteta's men will be eager to bounce back, having lost their last three encounters across competitions.

They are also set to end the season without a trophy, having already lost the league title race to the Reds.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava