Arsenal are weighing up a move for Joao Pedro from Premier League rivals Brighton as they look to improve their forward line, according to reports.
The Gunners are likely to finish the season as runners-up for a third consecutive season in the Premier League after Liverpool were crowned champions at the end of last month.
Arsenal couldn’t get near the Reds in the second half of the season and are currently 15 points adrift of Arne Slot’s men with two matches to play.
The Gunners have scored 66 goals so far this season compared to the 91 they scored in the whole of the last campaign, with Mikel Arteta’s side forced to play Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker over the last few months.
Merino took on the unorthodox role after both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz picked up season-ending injuries earlier this year, while Arsenal were unable to bring in any reinforcements in the January transfer window.
Regardless of their injury issues, Arsenal were already being urged to sign a new striker to help them compete for more trophies and decide tight games.
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There have been numerous centre-forwards linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium in recent times and there were even rumours on Wednesday that Viktor Gyokeres is ‘all theirs’ if they pay Sporting CP the £60m they want for the Sweden international.
However, there is another name on their radar with the Daily Telegraph claiming that Arsenal are ‘showing interest’ in Brighton’s Pedro, alongside Liverpool and Chelsea.
The Gunners are ‘among the admirers of Pedro’ with the north London side ‘understood to be long-term admirers’ of the Brazil international.
Arsenal ‘have explored the possibility of signing him’ and ‘are considering a number of attacking options’ with Gyokeres and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams mentioned as two other players they are looking at.
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If Brighton allow Pedro to leave the Amex Stadium this summer then the Seagulls ‘are likely to demand a fee that far exceeds the £30 million they paid for him’.
But former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn insists signing a striker won’t solve all of the Gunners’ issues with Arteta’s side needing to create more for their forwards.
Winterburn told BetVictor: “The solution to Arsenal’s problems isn’t as simple as signing a new striker. You can buy a new striker, but if you aren’t creating enough opportunities then he won’t help. A striker is someone who you really want to make the difference in the big moments, scoring important goals.
“I say the same about goalkeepers – you want them to make important saves in big games. You see a lot of strikers around Europe scoring huge amounts of goals, but the ones you remember are in the big games.
“I do still think they need to look at that area, though. That said, they still need to make sure they are doing everything else right, because if you’re not stable defensively and you’re not creating chances, then a striker isn’t going to solve anything.
“Each section of the pitch has to be right and the mentality of the players has to be there, as it has been for large periods under Mikel Arteta.”
