Arsenal were somewhat subdued in their recent Premier League game against Brighton. The Gunners held the Seagulls to a goalless draw after a heroic display from goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. However, that particular game showed precisely what Mikel Arteta’s team is missing.
On the one hand, Arsenal’s defence looks quite secure with the arrivals of Tomiyasu and White. On the other hand, the attack is yet to link up properly. Aubameyang was almost anonymous against Brighton’s defence, and Lacazette did nothing noteworthy.
However, if the recent report of Daily Star is anything to go by, Mikel Arteta is keeping an eye out on the contract situation of Raheem Sterling as the Englishman has just 20 months left in his current deal. There is no question Arsenal would be massively benefitted from the arrival of the winger at the Emirates.
Sterling’s Prowess Over The Last Few Seasons
Raheem Sterling joined Manchester City from Liverpool in 2015, initially as a winger. Sterling’s mazy runs were something to behold for the oppositions, but his finishing was never up to scratch. However, under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, the Englishman has become one of the best finishers in the league.
The 26 years old has conjured up 115 goals and 88 assists in 302 games for the Citizens. He has been usually preferred in the central role by Guardiola with Gabriel Jesus on the right-wing spot. Sterling certainly has developed a keen eye for goals during this latter stage of his career.
How Would Sterling Benefit Arsenal
Arsenal currently have captain Aubameyang and Lacazette as senior players upfront. Both of them are on the wrong side of their thirties. On the other hand, Florian Balogun and Eddie Nketiah are nowhere near ready to lead the line for the Gunners. In this situation, Arsenal will massively benefit from a player in his prime who knows where the goal is and is capable of driving with the ball into the opposition territory.
If we make a profile of the player Arsenal requires, it would be very close to Raheem Sterling. The mercurial Englishman is capable of skipping past players for fun. He will help Arsenal carry forward with the ball at his feet and put a finishing touch at the end. Nicolas Pepe currently does the first half of that at Arsenal and forgets the latter half most of the time.
Sterling was instrumental for England at this summer’s Euro 2020 tournament and helped his country reach the final. However, he has faced disappointment since returning to his club and has continued to be a bit-part player for Guardiola this season. The player has only started two Premier League games this term (against Tottenham and Southampton). City failed to find the back of the net in either of those games. He did start in Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, but City again failed to score.
Sterling is currently in negotiations about a new contract at the Etihad Stadium, but talks are apparently moving ‘slowly’ due to the forward’s wage demands. Arsenal will do themselves a massive favour if they do manage to bring Sterling to London Colony in this turmoil.
