The Frenchman has touted Julian Alvarez as a solution to the club’s problems.
Thierry Henry, pictured, believes Mikel Arteta has had enough time to find a striker (John Walton/PA)open image in gallery
Thierry Henry, pictured, believes Mikel Arteta has had enough time to find a striker (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)
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Thierry Henry has criticised Mikel Arteta over his failure to sign an out-and-out frontman, insisting the Arsenal manager has “had time to get a nine”.
The north London club finished second behind Premier League champions Liverpool this season and failed to add to the single trophy – the 2020 FA Cup – won by Arteta during his five-and-a-half-year reign to date.
While acknowledging that fitness problems had played a part, the Gunners’ record goalscorer highlighted the lack of a number nine as a key issue.
Henry told the Overlap Stick to Football podcast: “When you look at the injuries and you look at the players that came, OK, he brought players – he got [Raheem] Sterling when everyone wanted a nine. He had time to get a nine, he had time.
“I’m not the coach, I don’t know how the discussion… everyone has been screaming for a nine – apart from when we win, by the way. When we beat Real Madrid, we didn’t need a nine. No, you do need a nine.”
Arsenal have been linked repeatedly with Newcastle’s Alexander Isak – the Magpies’ Champions League qualification is likely to make that even more difficult – and also Sporting Lisbon frontman Viktor Gyokeres and RB Lepzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
However, Henry, a 1998 World Cup winner with France, believes Atletico Madrid’s former Manchester City hitman Julian Alvarez could be the answer to their problems.
He said: “One of my favourite nines out there at the minute is Julian Alvarez. We’ve been talking about it, putting pressure, playing alone, low, whatever you want to do. Did you see the free-kick he scored the other day?
“He can hold the ball alone, he played at the Olympic Games, he played in the Copa America. I don’t hear him saying, ‘I’m tired’ or not tired. Hopefully nothing bad is going to happen to him. He’s played everything and the way he plays, I just like him.”
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Arteta’s relative lack of silverware at the end of a season during which Newcastle and Crystal Palace claimed the domestic cups and Tottenham were triumphant in the Europa League has raised questions, and while Henry continues to back the Spaniard, he knows that drought cannot continue.
Asked about what Arteta has built, the 47-year-old said admitted he was doing a “great job”, but added: “Manchester United played five finals in the last five years. The United that everyone laughs at played five finals.
“In the last three years of building that building, you didn’t reach a final, so I do understand when people ask the question. Surely you should compete for a trophy, being in the final?”