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Gary Neville suggested that Declan Rice could be a surprise solution to Arsenal’s striker problem, but he also emphasized that the club should not have allowed itself to become so depleted in attacking options.
Former Manchester United defender and current Sky Sports pundit, Gary Neville has offered a surprising suggestion to solve Arsenal’s ongoing striker crisis. With Arsenal’s attack severely depleted due to injuries to key players like Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, Neville believes that Rice, primarily a midfielder, could be the unexpected answer to their problems.
Neville expressed his frustration with Arsenal’s lack of foresight, stating, “They knew at the start of the season that they were short at centre-forward. They knew if Havertz got injured that they didn’t have the quality up top.” He added, “I thought it might be Declan Rice coming from behind from midfield and Jorginho and Partey might be deeper, or even Merino and Partey deeper. But it’s ended up that Merino has gone forward and been the threat in the box.”
The Gunners have been forced to get creative with their lineup, recently deploying midfielder Mikel Merino as a striker in their match against Leicester City, where he scored both goals. While Merino’s performance was impressive, Neville is skeptical that this makeshift solution will be sustainable in the long run.
Neville’s remarks draw attention to a more significant problem with Arsenal’s squad management. Despite being in title races for the past two seasons and spending heavily on new players, the club failed to address their striker shortage in both the summer and January transfer windows. “They’ve known about it. They’ve also had two title races so they know what it’s like. This is not an inexperienced team anymore, it’s not an inexperienced manager.”
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