Alan Shearer warns Arsenal over summer transfer plans with clear striker message

Alan Shearer has warned Arsenal about the upcoming transfer market, predicting they will be "fleeced" as they search for a new striker.

The Gunners' pursuit of glory has been thrown off course due to injuries sustained by key forwards Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, while Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are sidelined. Despite the crisis up front, Arsenal did not reinforce their attack in January and that has proven to be costly after recent setbacks against West Ham and Nottingham Forest.

With the summer transfer window on the horizon, it seems inevitable that Arsenal will vie for a fresh goalscorer. Newcastle's Alexander Isak appears to be at the top of Mikel Arteta's wishlist, and there has also been speculation linking Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko to a move to the Emirates Stadium, reports the Mirror.

However, Shearer has cautioned the north London club that they're likely to encounter inflated asking prices, with their evident need for striking reinforcements putting them in a less favourable negotiating position. Sharing his thoughts with Betfair, the Newcastle United icon said: "Is Mikel Arteta under a bit of pressure now? Name me a Premier League manager not under pressure! But you have to say so with what Arsenal have spent and how close they have gone in title races.

"There's no doubt that he's a very talented manager and I don't think that he's under any pressure between now and the end of the season. But I would guess that between now and the beginning of next season that they'll have to bring players in.

"How many additions required is the question, but one thing is for certain that they have to bring a centre-forward in of world class quality and there's not many of those around. Whoever they go for, they're going to get fleeced, because everyone knows they're desperate for a striker."

Shearer attributes Arsenal's failed title bid to their inability to secure a striker, calling it a 'huge error' on their part. He recalled his earlier prediction that Arsenal's title chances hinged on signing a striker.

"About a month ago, maybe three weeks ago there was a glimmer of hope for Arsenal, that if they went on a winning run then it might put a little bit of pressure on Liverpool, but they just couldn't do it," he said. "I know they've got injuries, but I go back to the first week of the season, where I said that if Arsenal bought a striker then I'd fancy them to win the league and if not then I didn't think they'd do it.

"Ultimately, injuries and a lack of striker has cost Arsenal, and that's the reason why when push came to shove, they haven't had enough. Only one shot on target against Nottingham Forest, from a set-piece, has shone a light on that.

"Either they couldn't get a striker in, or Mikel Arteta didn't want one, but whatever way around it's clear to see that Arsenal have made a huge error in that position."

Join the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel

Join our Arsenal WhatsApp channel and get all the latest breaking news, opinion, podcasts and in-depth stories from football.london's dedicated Arsenal writers straight to your phone!

By following this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens, when it happens.

To join our dedicated Arsenal channel, all you have to do is click this link and you can join thousands of others following our Gunners coverage!

If you're curious, you can check out our privacy policy here.