‘It’s not as simple as that" - Jack Wilshere warns Arsenal that one signing in key area is "not the answer to everything"

Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere reckons the Gunners need more than one big-money signing to win the Premier League. Mikel Arteta's side have finished second in the last three seasons, twice to Manchester City and once to Liverpool.

Amid reports of the north London side addressing their deficiencies up front by holding talks with strikers Benjamin Sesko and Victor Gyokeres, Wilshere said that they would need to reinforce other areas of the roster as well (as per Metro):

"It’s not as simple as that. We’ve seen over the years, a nine helps of course someone to put the ball in the net, but everything else needs to happen around it as well. A nine will definitely help, but it’s not the answer to everything.

"If you look at everything they’ve done, Mikel came in with a five, six year plan and he has delivered all of that. He’s delivered it, we’ve got better, we’ve grown as a club but we haven’t won anything. Mikel will feel that more than anyone. They just have to find a way."

He concluded:

‘If you look at all the data, and I know data doesn’t matter but it does if you’re trying to build something. They’ve probably been the best team over the last two years in the Premier League- consistently, without actually getting it over the line. So they need to do that."

Wilshere played for the Gunners between 2008 and 2018, contributing 14 goals and 28 assists in 197 appearances across competitions, winning two FA Cup and one EFL Cup.

Arsenal: 2024-25 Season Recap

Arsenal are coming off another solid, if not spectacular, season under Mikel Arteta, who has now overseen five full campaigns at the Emirates since arriving in December 2019.

As mentioned earlier, the Gunners finished second in the Premier League yet again but finished a whopping 10 points behind champions Liverpool. They fell in the FA Cup third round and lost in the EFL Cup semi-final.

Mikel Arteta's side fared well in Europe, though, reaching their first UEFA Champions League semi-final in 16 years. However, they lost 3-1 on aggregate to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain after eliminating holders Real Madrid 5-1 over two legs in the previous round.

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Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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