Following the revelation of Gabriel Jesus’ injury, Arsenal could be forced to make another swoop in the market for an attacker this window.
The Gunners have already recruited Kai Havertz to bolster their front line this summer, with Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and David Raya also arriving to strengthen the spine.
As always, Mikel Arteta’s side have been linked with a host of players during the break, with one name capturing the eye of other clubs in the Premier League as well as those at the Emirates.
Who could Arsenal sign this summer?
One player linked with a move to north London is Ajax attacker Mohammed Kudus, who has also been of interest to Chelsea, West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion, as relayed by football.london.
While the versatile forward has been named as being a player admired by Arsenal by journalist Charles Watts (via TEAMtalk), it’s West Ham that have most recently been named as the club pushing for the Eredivisie sensation.
Transfer insider and renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano stated that the Irons had opened ‘initial talks’ to sign Kudus, who is reported valued in the region of £40m.
To add to the confusion and Premier League admiration for the 23-year-old gem, Arsenal could still be in the mix to sign the Ghanaian, with the Independent claiming Arteta favours the star over other signings.
How good is Mohammed Kudus?
While it’s clear to see just how much talent Kudus possesses based on the attention he’s received from the Premier League this summer, the type of player he is makes him a particularly attractive acquisition for Arteta to eye.
Once lauded as a “starboy” by former Ajax teammate Calvin Bassey, the 23-year-old presents a versatile nature of his game that could be a perfect fit for the Gunners, given their current injury situation.
With Jesus ruled out and Folarin Balogun expected to depart, only Eddie Nketiah is in contention to lead the line for Arsenal as the club’s single out-and-out striker.
Deployed primarily in central midfield, Kudus can be played in most areas along the front line and has featured as advanced as a false nine for Ajax during his time in the Netherlands.
Having been praised as being “excellent” in his performance as a “free role false nine” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Ghana international could pose to be more of a threat in leading the line than Nketiah himself.
While the Englishman netted in Arsenal’s first game of the season, there is no doubt that the Gunners need a more competent striker in order to sufficiently compete with the best in Europe, including Manchester City.
As per FBref, Kudus actually performed better in front of goal than Nketiah over the 2022/23 campaign, averaging 0.55 non-penalty goals per 90, with 1.36 shots on target and 1.46 key passes per 90 in the Eredivisie.
Arteta’s starlet fell short in all the listed areas, averaging 0.33 non-penalty goals, 1.16 shots on target and 0.74 key passes per 90 in the Premier League for the Gunners.
One of the most prominent features of Kudus’ game is his ball-carrying abilities and explosive nature in possession, communicated by his 4.57 successful take-ons per 90, incomparable to Nketiah’s average of 1.24 last term.
Arteta could pull off a masterclass in capturing the Ghanaian youngster, in a move that could not only transform their frontline but also bolster Arsenal’s status as true contenders for the league title, given the evidence above.
