Opinion: Sol Campbell sends striker warning as Arsenal close in on Gyökeres deal | OneFootball

Arsenal legend Sol Campbell has warned that the imminent arrival of Viktor Gyökeres might not be enough for the Gunners to clinch the Premier League title.

The Sweden international is set to join Arsenal on a long-term deal, bringing an end to a long-running transfer saga. He is expected to undergo a medical this weekend before signing his contract. The 27-year-old will reportedly wear the iconic number 14 shirt, once made famous by Thierry Henry and more recently worn by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Eddie Nketiah.

His arrival is seen as a major boost to Mikel Arteta’s title ambitions, but according to Campbell, one striker alone will not guarantee success.

Campbell: Arsenal need two top-class strikers

Campbell, who won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups with Arsenal, believes an additional centre-forward is essential to maintain performance levels across the season.

“You need two strikers to trouble other teams,” he told The Sun. “You can’t always rely on just one striker as if he gets injured, the team’s performance drops. So it’s important to have a main one and have another really good backup. Sometimes they can play together, sometimes one’s on the bench and the other comes on.

“It can be good to get a slightly older one who’s been there, seen it, and done it, and can come on when you need something to happen for 20 minutes, but they’re top, top quality.

“If you pick the second striker properly, they can come on to make a difference. That’s something you have to do. So if they do get two strikers, they could definitely become champions.

“That’s the type of player who has been missing, somebody who has scored 20-25 goals just in the league. It’s okay to say, ‘he’s got all of these goals in all of these competitions,’ but that’s not good enough, that’s not going to win you the Premier League. You need goals to get you over the line and make up point differences.”

Gyokeres (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

Gyökeres and Havertz partnership could prove enough

In addition to Gyökeres, Arsenal have already secured the signing of Noni Madueke and are reportedly targeting another versatile forward to bolster their frontline. With a revitalised Kai Havertz and an injured but returning Gabriel Jesus, the Gunners appear to have adequate cover in the centre-forward position heading into the new season.

While another top-class number 9 would add welcome depth, it remains to be seen whether the club’s finances would stretch that far. For now, the contrast in profiles between Havertz and Gyökeres should offer Arteta a dynamic and flexible attack.

Thoughts, Gooners?

Benjamin Kenneth

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