Lineker drops Arsenal claim after ‘positive for football’ CL final loss; Arteta told to make three signings | OneFootball

Gary Lineker has explained why Arsenal losing the Champions League final was “positive for football”, while Mikel Arteta has been told to make three signings.

Arsenal are reeling from losing the Champions League final, having been beaten 4-3 on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain after drawing 1-1 after extra time.

The Premier League giants defended valiantly to keep PSG at bay after Kai Havertz broke the deadlock in the opening ten minutes, but Ousmane Dembele equalised from the penalty spot with around minutes of normal time remaining.

Mikel Arteta‘s side relied on their superb defence to get so far in the Champions League, but Lineker has argued that three teams have better players and the loss in the fianl was “positive for football”.

“It was obviously disappointing for Arsenal but I do think the best team in the tournament has won again,” Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast.

“Looking at the game as a fan with no skin in the game, I think Arsenal had to play that way because they wouldn’t have beaten PSG any other way, but at the same time I think football won.

“I know there are all different sort of ways to play and there’s nothing wrong with playing defensively. But at the same time football is entertainment and you want to see teams that are really positive, creative and have the best players and play wonderful football.

“I think this season those three teams have been PSG, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

“Arsenal are brilliant defensively and PSG didn’t create much because they’re so organised but I think as a neutral it was a positive result for football.

“I think in terms of how football should be played, the best team won.”

Micah Richards tells Arsenal to make three summer signings…

To move to the next level, Lineker’s co-host, Micah Richards, explained why he thinks Arsenal need to make three signings this summer.

“I think they need another striker,” Richards added on Arsenal’s summer transfer business.

“Kai Havertz is outstanding in terms of technical ability and Viktor Gyokeres has done well in his first season. But if they could get someone like Julian Alvarez, that would just give Arsenal something different.

“He’s one of the best strikers in world football going into the World Cup and he’s already won one of those with Argentina.”

“I think they also need another left-winger and another centre midfielder. Bringing in [Christian] Norgaard has worked to a certain degree in terms of his temperament and Myles Lewis-Skelly has shown he can definitely do a job in there.

“But to get the best out of someone like [Martin] Zubimendi you need to be a little bit higher so he can get on the ball and dictate the game from there.

“So maybe they can get someone else in the midfield alongside Rice who is more box to box, more energetic and aggressive.

“If they get that, a new striker and another winger they can compete for the next two, three, four years now – that’s how good I think they can be.”