Perhaps due to a lack of offensive potency, Arsenal has fallen behind Liverpool in the 2024–25 Premier League title race. Former defender turned commentator Gary Neville has offered a suggestion as to why the team did not acquire a new forward in January.
It has long been believed that the capital club, currently under Mikel Arteta’s leadership for six seasons, would invest time and money to get a natural-born shooter, but they did not play during the winter window.
Runaway leaders Liverpool have a 13-point lead at the top of the table because the second-place team, who are still among the favourites in the Champions League, lacks offensive ability, particularly without the talismanic Bukayo Saka.
Neville, who is considered to be among the greatest right-backs in Premier League history, explains why he thinks Raheem Sterling’s last-minute summer signing plays a role in Arsenal’s desire to add trophies to their trophy cabinet under Arteta’s leadership this season.
“Are you aware of what I believe they did? On the most recent episode of The Overlap with Sky Bet, Neville stated, “I’m not sure Arsenal wanted to sign Raheem Sterling in the last part of the summer transfer window.”
Despite Arsenal’s long record of injuries, Sterling has had difficulty establishing himself as a consistent starter since temporarily joining the team in the summer of 2024. As of this writing, he has played 844 minutes and recorded one goal and two assists.
Neville went on to say, “I’m not sure Arsenal, as a club, wanted him,” before describing Arteta’s impact. “I believe Arteta believed Sterling could play all spots up top and essentially instructed the team to bring him in as a cover. I believe he stated that.
Neville thinks the authority figures on the red side of north London are now hesitant to give the Spaniard complete control over fresh faces because they supported Arteta in trying to negotiate a contract for the disorganised Chelsea player, and it didn’t work out.
Arteta has considered him as his second or third striker because of his ability to play across the front line. They ultimately decided to support him, and I believe it deterred them from making another similar transaction in January as they believe that Arteta hasn’t properly utilised Sterling, who they brought in.
There is nothing specific regarding Arsenal using the free agency market to address their persistent shortcomings in the final third, according to Fabrizio Romano’s report in his exclusive GIVEMESPORT email.
Nothing significant or progress has been made as of yet, and the position on a striker remains same. I’ve been informed that things are still quiet and that Martinelli’s return is imminent, so we’ll see if a chance presents itself.
Due to a shabby squad, Arteta and his team are currently being forced to start Mikel Merino, a central midfielder by trade, in the centre striker position. They haven’t been able to win when doing this.
Ben Jacobs claims that the north Londoners are “frontrunners” in the multi-club competition for RB Leipzig talisman Benjamin Sesko’s signature during the summer transfer window, but it is unclear if a deal will ever happen.
