Ex-Gunner says Arsenal missed out on two “perfect” signings who are now at major rivals

Arsenal have been told they could have made “perfect” signings up front if they’d beaten Liverpool to Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.

The pair joined the Reds last season, though in fairness they weren’t exactly cheap, especially Isak, who was at the time the most expensive purchase in British football history.

Arsenal opted instead to focus on strengthening the depth of their squad ahead of last season, spreading their budget out on signings like Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke, rather than one superstar signing costing somewhere in the region of £120-150m.

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Still, former Arsenal youngster Jay Bothroyd believes this squad is lacking a world class front-man like Isak, Ekitike, and Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez.

Liverpool duo would be “perfect” for Arsenal

“Gyokeres was fantastic in Portugal, he was scoring loads of goals and he was beating up the league,” Bothroyd said on Football Uncensored.

“He’s come to the Premier League and, physically, everyone can compete with him.

“But when I keep hearing, ‘Oh, he’s playing in between the defenders, he’s occupying people’… Arsenal are too big just to have a player and say: ‘You’re occupying the centre-backs.'”

He added: “When I look at Julian Alvarez, I think he is exactly what Arsenal needed.

“I wanted to get Alexander Isak from Newcastle, I think that was the perfect signing. Then Hugo Ekitike, that was a perfect signing.

“But I think Alvarez fits exactly what Arsenal need which is a player who can come in between the lines, he can get turned, he can manufacture his own goals, he can play out in wide areas and obviously he can play on the shoulder.”

Can Arsenal strengthen in January?

Arsenal surely need to make changes to their attack in January, after missing out on so many big names in the summer.

After targeting the likes of Alvarez, Morgan Rogers, and Vinicius Junior, the club surely have money saved up to try again for a game-changer this winter if anyone’s available.

The obvious name would surely be Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, depending on his fitness and form once he returns from injury.