Arsenal news: Mikel Arteta suffers striker setback as top four hopes take a hard hit

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has suffered another setback in his search for a new striker as club legend Ian Wright insists there is “no way” the club can finish in the top four

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Mikel Arteta reflects on the defeat of Brighton

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta appears to have been turned down by another striker as he looks to fill the void left by former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gunners boss is aiming to sign at least one new forward during the summer transfer window, with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah increasingly likely to leave when their contracts expire at the end of the season. And former Chelsea Striker Alavaro Morata has reportedly given the club a ‘strong no’ after they contacted him about a move.

It comes as club legend Ian Wright dealt the club a major blow to their four best hopes by insisting there is “no way” they can steal one Champions League from bitter rivals Tottenham hot track. And Emmanuel Petit “totally agrees” that the Gunners need a slew of new players before they can start fighting for silverware.

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Petit supports Arteta’s transfer plans

Arsenal icon Emmanuel Petit has backed Gunners boss Mikel Arteta’s plans for another busy summer in the transfer market.

Arteta had a hugely productive summer last year, breaking the club’s spending record when he brought in Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Martin Odegaard, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares and Takehiro Tomiyasu for a combined £149m. It’s widely believed Arteta wants seven signings this summer and Petit agrees with the Gunners boss as the current Arsenal squad “has some quality but not enough to match Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea”.

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The four best hopes are met

Arsenal’s four best hopes have taken a hit as club legend Ian Wright insisted ‘we cannot stay in the top four’.

The Gunners’ hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League have faltered in recent weeks after disappointing defeats crystal palace and Brighton – just as bitter north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur have taken a step forward under Antonio Conte. This has pushed Mikel Arteta’s side down to fifth place First League Table, three points behind Spurs but with a smaller goal difference.

And Wright has lamented the club’s lack of goals, insisting that without the injured trio of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney, there is “no way” they can remain in the hunt for a top-four spot.

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Arteta suffers Striker Kickback

Mikel Arteta’s search for a new striker appears to have suffered another setback after the Arsenal boss was reportedly given a ‘resounding no’ from Alvaro Morata.

The Gunners tried to bring Serbian forward Dusan Vlahovic into the January transfer window but the striker opted to join the Italian giants instead juventus instead of moving to the Premier League club. That is said to have led Arteta to turn his attention to his Juventus team-mate Morata, although reports from Italy suggest the striker has no intention of returning to English football after a difficult spell at Chelsea between 2017 and 2020.

It means the club could face a difficult summer transfer window as they look to land a new striker capable of firing silverware.

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