Former England winger Chris Waddle has warned Arsenal that signing Viktor Gyokeres alone may not be enough if they want to challenge for major honours next season.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football odds, Waddle said the Gunners still need another recognised striker and claimed the club’s biggest danger may not come from rivals, but from within.
Waddle warns Arsenal over complacency concerns
According to Waddle, Mikel Arteta’s side could struggle if complacency starts creeping into the squad after several demanding seasons.
“The biggest issue Arsenal will face next season is complacency if that starts to kick in,” he said.
He pointed to the physical and mental demands placed on the team over recent years and insisted that fresh additions remain important, even for squads already packed with quality.
“Right now Arsenal have got a good squad, a lot of good players. So it’s not about how you strengthen the squad necessarily but big clubs always need to have one or two acquisitions every season to give the players who are already there some competition.
“It gives the fans something new to look at too. It keeps everyone on their toes.”
Arsenal must add another striker alongside Viktor Gyokeres
While Arsenal continue to collect results, he believes they still lack the ruthless edge shown by teams like Manchester City in recent years.
“I don’t see a player to score 20 or 25 goals in a season,” Waddle said.
“If you look at Arsenal, they’ve won a lot of games without really battering a team by five or six like we’ve seen teams like City do.
“When City go to town on a team, they go to town. Arsenal have been quite happy to win by one or two. I’d be looking for someone else to come in and push Viktor Gyokeres next season.”
In Arsenal’s last three Premier League games, for example, the Gunners won all three by just one goal, with the highest scoreline being a 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace on the final day.
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PSG challenge could require different tactical approach
The Premier League title race against Manchester City may be over, but Arsenal’s season is far from over.
The English champions will be hoping to become European champions when they take on Paris-Saint Germain on Saturday, May 30, in the UEFA Champions League final.
Waddle suggested Gyokeres alone would not trouble the PSG defenders.
“Is Viktor Gyokeres a problem that Paris Saint-German’s defenders may struggle to deal with? No because their centre-backs have seen it all.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re playing it fast or direct or physical, they know how to deal with it. They’ve been there, bought the t-shirt.
“They’ll know exactly what they need to do to deal with him, whether that’s roughing him up or leaving him be.”
He added that Arteta may even need to adopt a defensive approach if necessary, warning that trying to go toe-to-toe with PSG could play directly into the French side’s hands.
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