The type of player Arsenal need the most isn’t even a striker, he actually plays for Man United – opinion

After Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United, much of the discourse surrounding the Gunners and their struggles in the final third may have been around the absence of a world-class striker in their ranks.

Ruben Amorim would’ve noticed Arsenal’s lack of threat and even though they did score against United, it took a moment of individual brilliance from Declan Rice for them to do so as they found it a tall task to carve the hosts out.

But Mikel Arteta’s side are seemingly aware that they need a striker, with Arsenal scouting Marcus Thuram against Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Santiago Castro is on Arsenal’s shortlist as well.

While Benjamin Sesko is the striker Arsenal could sign in what is considered the most likely transfer scenario as well.

In the summer, it seems like Mikel Arteta and Co are ready to pull out all the stops to sign a number nine.

But the question is whether a centre-forward is the position Arsenal need to address more than any other in their roster.

Arsenal need a Bruno Fernandes-type of player more than a striker

Mikel Merino does a job up front but the fact that he is leading the line for the Gunners does emphasise why signing a number nine should be high up on their to-do list in the summer transfer window.

But then again, Arsenal are sitting in fourth place in the Premier League table behind Bournemouth, Chelsea and Liverpool when it comes to strictly xG (Expected Goals) — which also indicates that they simply are not enough of an offensive threat.

A key reason why that is the case is because Mikel Arteta lacks a match-winner in his side apart from Bukayo Saka in the final third and the type of player they are perhaps missing in their squad is a certain Bruno Fernandes.

As Rio Ferdinand claimed, Fernandes is a player with X-factor and even against Arsenal, he showed that by scoring an incredible free-kick.

Mikel Arteta has a well-oiled tactical setup in place but in football, individuals make all the ultimate difference and in Saka’s injury-enforced absence, the likes of Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard have been unable to in the Premier League in particular.

Fernandes, however is a player who does not have to perform at his best and yet, he can effortlessly churn out goals and assists. Most importantly, the Manchester United captain is a player that can produce moments such as his free-kick against Arsenal or even his belter of a strike against the North Londoners as they knocked them out of the FA Cup.

In this respect, Fernandes is not just similar to Saka but some of the other best players in the league such as Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland. The onus to step up seems to be on Odegaard, whose poor form was called out by Darren Bent but unlike the Portuguese international, he keeps things ticking rather than dragging his side by bagging goals and providing assists.

While Arsenal will be unable to lure Fernandes into signing for them, they are also in need of a similar type of player who can drag them out of a mess through consistent moments of individual brilliance, much like Kevin De Bruyne and Frank Lampard did for Manchester City and Chelsea respectively for years.

• READ MORE: Micah Richards says whether the referee made a mistake for Bruno Fernandes’ goal during Man United vs Arsenal

What are Fernandes’ stats compared to Arsenal’s attackers?

Ultimately, whether the game-changer is a striker or a midfielder does not matter as long as Mikel Arteta’s side win games of football.

Liverpool do not have an elite centre-forward either but as long as Salah is fit and firing, they are not necessarily missing one either.

Fernandes is playing for a Manchester United in the bottom half of the table and yet, his numbers are far superior to that of Odegaard’s.

The former Sporting CP midfielder has double of the Norwegian’s goals and assists in total this campaign.

The blame does not fall on Odegaard as such as he profiles more like a central midfielder but it points to how Arsenal would be in a much better position had they possessed a specialist in the final third such as Fernandes this season.

While Saka, Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli have suffered injuries at different points of the season, none of them also have as many goal involvements as the creative midfielder (25) in all competitions.

Arsenal might need to sign a striker but if they can also get their hands on a special attacker like Fernandes, they could be flying next season.

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