Sporting Director Edu Gaspar says Arsenal already has a recruitment plan for next summer but wouldn’t be drawn on whether a new number 9 is a priority.
While Mikel Arteta’s squad have been scoring for fun in the last month, there remains a perception that the Gunners could do with an upgrade on strikers Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, neither of whom are prolific.
Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen and Benjamin Sesko are among the names that have been linked as alternatives although it remains to be seen if there’s any substance to such talk.
Ahead of the 4-1 win over Newcastle United, Edu was pitchside to answer questions from the TNT Sports crew, including former teammate Martin Keown and Rio Ferdinand.
“We now start to plan ahead for the summer on the recruitment and there are a lot of things happening,” revealed the Brazilian.
Pressed on whether a striker is on the shopping list, he continued: “I understand what the fans are asking for but we already have our targets.
“We have planned a lot ahead and I would be worried if we don’t score a lot of goals and if we’re not creating chances, which is the opposite because we create a lot and score a lot of goals.
“The plan is to try to get better every year and I think we are in a good moment. Let’s see if we can keep improving, improving, improving.”
Arsenal scored a club-record number of goals in the Premier League last season and after a lavish February that has seen the team plunder 18 goals in 4 matches, they are well-placed to match the feat.
"We are planning ahead for the summer on the recruitment, and a lot of things are happening" 👀
Speaking to @lynseyhipgrave1, @martinkeown5 and @rioferdy5, Arsenal Invincible Edu provides insight into his daily role as Arsenal's Sporting Director… pic.twitter.com/X3Z4JZHVXI
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 24, 2024
Edu was also asked about the type of characters he and Arteta want to bring to the club.
“I think if you see the type of the players we have at the moment, it’s players which have a big, big commitment of [to] the club, which is very important,” he added.
“So the way we transmit to the fans, transmit to people our commitment – sometimes you can lose, you can win games, it’s all part of the sport – helps us perform the best way possible and show the passion we have for the club and try to win as many games as we can.
“Many times in certain conversations to recruit the players you don’t see the character of the player or the character of the player does not fit well with what we are trying to do and then you have to move on and try to find what we’re really looking for.
“If you see all the signings we’ve made since we started together, everyone is almost the same, young, energetic and passionate, and good talents with big, beautiful futures ahead of them.”
Great philosophy from Edu, hope we keep going with it and get more great.players. We’re not far off already, we’ve taken huge steps forward in the last few seasons.
Chelsea can learn a thing or two
Let them not
I hope Todd Boehly is in it for the long haul! Boehly IN!
I see Paulinha linked from Fulham again. He’d certainly seem to be a solid option to take up Elneny/Parteys squad position. We’ll be wanting somebody a little more experienced in that area I expect
Then how we are scoring I don’t care about having a striker that everything goes through. I’d rather have the uncertainty for the opposition of not knowing where the goals are coming from.
Example is when other teams were putting two defenders in Saka to try to rule him out. Let’s have lots of goal threats!
We have scored more goals than city who have an out and out goal scorer. We definitely need upgrade on nketia though and I think Arteta knows this now, as he doesn’t start him when Jesus is out and the difference is clear for all to see that we are much more threatening with havertz up there. The forwards are now combing and linking with understanding and movement and playing the right pass at the right time. It’s a joy to watch.
Anyone but Toney IMO.
Good player but too old for us….will be fascinating to see who we go for ✌️
Maybe Viktor Gyeköres could be the right player. Probably quite expensive though
He is 27, Mbappe 25 (not far), Kane went to Bayern age 30, Benzema won the Ballon d’Or at 34 and many CL as the lead striker above age 30.
I don’t really see Toney as too old given his profile. He isn’t reliant on pace. Look how the like of Giroud or Ibrahimovic have been able to perform beyond their 30s. I don’t know for certain, but as far as I know Toney has a decent injury record. I think it depends on him and his commitment to continue to work hard and look after himself. With all the modern strength, conditioning and medical facilities it seems to me footballers careers are stretching out slightly. He should certainly manage 4 or 5 years. I expect he’ll still be effective… Read more »
Toney’s problem isn’t his age, it’s that he’s a bit of an arrogant cunt.
He’s just served an 8 month ban for gambling, which he knew was against the rules and showed no remorse.
He even doubled down and said that many of the charges didn’t really count because he was betting on himself to score! That shows you just how thick and arrogant he is, as well as greedy.
There is a huge difference between betting on one’s self and against one’s self.
He also bet on his own team to lose! But that was ok as well because he wasn’t playing in those games.
This is amazing. Becouse we win together, we lose together. Thats the most important thing. If players are as fans involved in the club. Passionate. We will all benefit! COYG ! Red throughout!!!
I think we can quite conclusively say these comments rule out Toney.
Our first team is undoubtedly one of the best but we need a bigger squad: at least two players in every position with the same quality.
there lies the problem.
Liverpool have played 40 games, we have played 37 games.
However we have 6 players (Saliba, Gabriel, Rice, White, Saka and Odedgard) who have played more minutes than VVD, who is their player with most minutes played. liverpool have 21 players with over 1000 minutes, we only have 16.
What were the equivalent stats for last season Ealing? Reason I ask is we are in the Champions League and Liverpool in the Europa where was otherway round last season. And with Europa you can spread the minutes more – even Marquinos got a start or 2 last season.
You can check on
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/arsenal-fc/leistungsdaten/verein/11/plus/0?reldata=%262023
just change the dates.
even when looking a Premier League games only for 23/24
we have 4 players with more than 2000 minutes, they only have one player.
Thanks!
The six players you list have been fit for every game (I guess Saka and Ødegaard missed one each; Gabriel missed the early games because of whatever). I’m pretty sure Klopp would have been happy to play Salah, Andy Robertson, Jota, and Alexander-Arnold more minutes than he has.
What’s really needed is more quality rather than quantity. We still have a few players in the squad who don’t bring anything to the party.
The likes of Nketia, Nelson and Elneny should be upgraded. We need guys who can come in to cover injuries without dropping off the quality too much. The injury-prone ones like ESR, Partey and Tomi probably need to be moved on too. (I like all three of them but they just can’t be relied on.)
I mean our first eleven (16) is tremendous and we need more from that quality.
This is interesting as it relates to MA’s squad management. So far he hasn’t had to manage many situations where he has to keep high-quality players happy and firing while not always playing. Trossard/Jesus/Havertz may be an example, or Tomi and various fullbacks. But usually the decisions are made for him by injury. He has a tendency to have an “in” or “out” mentality, but will need to expand that if we get to a place where we have something closer to City’s squad depth.
Your first task should be to identify a like for like backup for Saka, who’s happy to sit on the bench every game that Saka plays.
Yeah. Good luck with that.
The summer looks like it will be a great time for the squad. Young, energetic and passionate. Words that could be used to describe Arteta and Edu as well as the players. Its amazing to see the turn-around from the previous routine where you couldn’t be sure if the primary goal was the club or lining their own (and agents’) pockets. Its even better to see that the improvements made haven’t led to any complacency slipping in. So every summer its still about what we could do better.
Remember when many on Twitter were calling for Edu’s hwad and saying he knows nothing about European football. If that’s not proof that us fans have no idea what we are talking about 85% of the time, then I don’t know what is.
Super glad to have the likes of him and Per at this club! They are more chill and mellow than Mikel, but they are a great pair.
I did too, with right reasons as well. Edus best mate is that Kia fella; do I say more??
Also FYI 8 Bn Euros is the average amount of laundering done in European football in a year. Make of it as whichever way you will !
Source: FATF
This was after the Willain and co transfers. I think that it was fair to be challenged then, and I think it is also fair to say that he has improved and we as fans should recognize it.
He got the stick he deserved for the Willian signing, who was far from “young, energetic and passionate”
“Young & energetic” There go my dreams of ever representing The Arsenal. Up. In. Flames. Thanks a lot Edu.
At least you’re passionate!
Without all of us old and lethargic the club and entire league would crumble.
We keep the dream alive.
Surely you can still dream of replacing Cedric?
Rio is such a knob sock. “A lot of the Arsenal fans talking about a number 9”. BS! It’s mostly the media talking about a striker.
Exactly. Noticed that, too and smirked at my screen. The Man United old boys in the media are an insufferable lot, aren’t they?
To be honest, I am not a big admirer of Martin Keown as a commentator either.
We talked a lot about striker before the Dubai break. Now we don’t. If we hit a dry spell again, we will. This is our job as fans, to worry. Edu’s job is to understand our worry and to address it in the best way possible, which often is not the way how we imagine it.
What can you expect from someone who thinks Saka isn’t world class.
I suspect we’ll be letting Party leave and getting in a replacement, if ramsdale leaves we’ll need to replace him too and I suspect we’ll get an attacking player possibly a number 9
Partey is only leaving if he ever gets fit and we get a reasonable fee for a player who essentially hasn’t played this season. Both are open questions that they will occur and he has one year left. We may end up with him as a squad player.
I went have such a well balanced squad at the moment, I think all we need is replacements/upgrades on a few players in the current roster. ie same number of players in as out:
Eddie sold and a better quality CF signed.
Partey sold, replaced by an injury free CM.
Nelson sold, replaced by a better quality right winger.
Suarez leaves, replaced by a third choice maybe raw/young RB.
We should lure Rasmus from that mid table club in Manchester. He would be a significant upgrade on Eddie, he is young and why the fuck would he want to stay the anyway lol
When Rio asked his question, I wish Edu would just turn to him and say “shut up, you dumb wanker!”