Club legend Ian Wright has claimed the lack of a clinical center-forward cost Arsenal the 2023-24 Premier League title. Wright also nudged the Gunners toward Newcastle United ace Alexander Isak, suggesting he would be an excellent addition to Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Ian Wright Claims Arsenal Were Not Clinical Enough In Premier League
Despite winning a club-best 28 matches in the Premier League, Arsenal failed to win the 2023-24 Premier League title. They amassed 89 points from 38 games, finishing only two points behind champions Manchester City. It was a bitter end to a promising campaign, and Wright believes things would have been different if his old club had a clinical marksman in their ranks.
On the Premier League Productions, the Englishman said (via Metro):
“You look at some of the games which were really tight, you go back to the Aston Villa game where Arsenal lost. If you had that striker who could get that goal out of nothing, it settles you down, you get the goal and you know you have somebody who could take half a chance.
“It’s worth its weight in gold. It gets the whole team settled. You relax and then you can start playing. If you are continually missing chances at the stage Arsenal were and none of the front guys were scoring, then you start to feel the pressure on the team.”
He added:
“That’s what you can’t do against Man City. You have to be able to score the goals. We did score. We scored a lot of goals this season. But I am talking about changing games and changing the way you are playing the game.
“I think they would definitely look at somebody that would fit into a very technically organized side. A team that can stretch.”
Ian Wright Advises Mikel Arteta To Take A Look At Alexander Isak
After noting the need for a top center-forward, Ian Wright made the case for Newcastle United’s 24-year-old talisman Alexander Isak.
Wright continued:
“There is a lot of talk about what’s happening with Isak at Newcastle. You look at Isak, you could say, “yeah [you’d take him].
“You could probably see somebody like him at Arsenal the way he plays. The way he can link up. The way Mikel would want him to play in that team if it was him or a player of that stature. But we need somebody, first and foremost, who is going to take the half-chance.”
According to a report from the Independent, Isak and Brian Brobbey are on Arsenal’s wishlist for the summer. The north Londoners reportedly want to sign the Swede but will turn their attention to the Ajax striker if Newcastle refuse to sell.
Isak enjoyed a blistering 2023-24 Premier League campaign for the Magpies. Playing 30 matches in the English top flight, he scored 21 times and provided two assists. He finished third in the Golden Boot race, behind winner Erling Haaland (27 goals) and runners-up Cole Palmer (22 goals).
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