The first thing to raise is that the improvement and continual progression of North American soccer continues to move at an incredible pace. Players from both the United States and Canada are making the switch to Europa at an increased pace as evidence of this.
Arsenal have jumped on this trend by signing both Matt Turner and Auston Trusty. However, the latest potential move for an MLS star raises questions regarding how the Gunners view a critical position in need of strength.
As reported by the Evening Standard after initial suggestions from Uruguay, Arsenal are said to be tracking Orlando City’s Facundo Torres. The Uruguayan international has nine goals and eight assists in 33 MLS appearances so far, and even scored against the Gunners in the pre=season friendly between the two sides earlier this year.
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Torres is a player being tracked by plenty of Europe’s elite, but if these reports are to be believed, Arsenal are looking to potentially make a move for the player. There’s no denying Torres is an exciting talent, full of potential and plenty of regular watchers of the 22-year-old tip him to be a Champions League-level player.
However, there is still something which is preventing me from getting excited about his potential arrival. Arsenal’s front three of Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are one of the best in the league and a huge factor in their position at the top of the table.
That said, were any of the three to get an injury, the options supporting them grow cause for concern. There are positives, especially after Reiss Nelson’s brace against Nottingham Forest having replaced Saka, but an expectation that two goals after 837 days without one in the Premier League for the Gunners aren’t going to shift opinions too greatly on whether the strength in that role is sufficient as is.
Emile Smith Rowe has been a real miss, potentially far more than most thought when it was confirmed he would undergo surgery. The goals the England international brought from the bench last season were priceless and aided Arsenal’s ascent up the table.
Eddie Nketiah meanwhile has struggled despite regular game time in the Europa League. The minutes in the Premier League have been few, but the argument of a lack of consistent starts doesn’t exist like it did last season prior to the end of the campaign flourish he thankfully contributed.
Nketiah, Nelson and Smith Rowe offer depth but Arsenal still lack that top-quality figure to provide competition for not just one or two of the attackers but all three. Torres himself can play on either flank but has rarely operated centrally
The perfect example of the type of signing the Gunners need to make is what was accomplished by Liverpool when they signed Diogo Jota. A player of top ability and versatility, who could cover any one of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino’s positions.
The Reds then added Luis Diaz as well to further the reinforcement and in Mane’s absence, they have since struggled to find regular goals. Made worse by both Jota and Diaz facing their own injury issues.
Torres, despite his promise, doesn’t fulfil this level of reinforcement like Jota did for Liverpool. The sights need to be aimed at a higher level if Arsenal are to continue this mighty bid to finish as high up the Premier League table as possible and battle on all fronts in the cup competitions too.
The January transfer window represents a serious challenge for technical director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta, but it should be seen as a great opportunity to define Arsenal’s season for the better. No doubt the winter window of 2021 was seen as one of the direct contributors to the failure to finish in the top four after no signings were made and then injuries took hold to drag the Gunners into fifth.
Repeating this would be of great concern and only fuel further doubt about whether this recruitment team can help Arsenal operate ruthlessly and competitively if their goal is to reach the elite level again. Coming full circle, signings like Torres can be beneficial, but in this instance, Arsenal should demand more.
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