Youssef En-Nesyri in action for Sevilla. (imago Images)
According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti (h/t football.london), Arsenal are interested in signing star Sevilla striker, Youssef En-Nesyri. His tweet goes on to mention that the Gunners have submitted an enquiry for the 24-year-old and that he has been on the club’s wishlist for some time.
En-Nesyri has spent his entire senior football career in Spain since his move from Morocco, his native country, in 2015. Having played for Malaga and Leganes, it was at Sevilla where the striker started to make a name for himself. But is the Moroccan international a player that Mikel Arteta should sign for Arsenal right now?
Arsenal’s striker situation is really something that tends to intrigue the onlooker. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined them from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, just a little over 6 months after the Gunners procured the highly-rated Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon in the summer of 2017. Things are different now.
The Gabonese striker is in the final two years of his contract, which is a worrying fact for the Arsenal fans. Already 32, he is no spring chicken himself and the club would have to look for a long-term replacement for him in the future. As for Lacazette, the 30-year-old French hitman is out of contract next summer.
That is a worrying aspect especially when coupled with the fact that Eddie Nketiah also sees his contract expire next year. This clearly indicates that Arteta should look to bring in a striker that can give him a few years of service at the top level. Moreover, Aubameyang has himself been played out wide a lot of times at the Emirates.
It would be a big ask for Arteta to put his faith in two young English strikers in Nketiah and Folarin Balogun. The 20-year-old Balogun has started just once for the senior side in his whole career, while Nketiah has not found favour either.
Indeed, Nketiah had just four league starts last season. Arsenal’s striker problems were visible this season when they had to field Balogun in two games, and the club also went without a goal in their first three league games. Perhaps, the 24-year-old En-Nesyri is the striker Arteta needs.
A shake-up in the frontline can play out in Arsenal’s favour given their current situation. En-Nesyri is one of the first names on Sevilla’s teamsheet, playing all 38 of their La Liga games and scoring 18 goals in that time. His dependability, age, and quality in attack would benefit Arsenal in the short, as well as the long run.
