West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus would be the “perfect” replacement for injured Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka, according to ex-Gunners star Adrian Clarke.
Arsenal were dealt a huge blow this month following news that Saka had torn his hamstring during their 5-1 win over Crystal Palace on December 21. Boss Mikel Arteta initially said his star man would be out for “weeks” before later revealing he had undergone surgery. and is now sidelined until March.
It comes as a major setback to the club's title ambitions given how crucial Saka has been this season. He has nine goals and 13 assists in all competitions and is their second-highest scorer behind Kai Havertz.
Former Arsenal star Clarke – who started his career at the club and played for the team between 1991 and 1997 – has identified Kudus as the ideal player Arteta should target, saying he would be the “perfect” substitute for Saka in the January transfer window.
Kudus has three goals in the Premier League and one assist for the Hammers, although his progress at the London Stadium has been hampered as the team suffers a slump under boss Julen Lopetegui.
Speaking on talkSport, Clarke urged Arsenal to sign the 24-year-old. He said: “Mohammed Kudus is a player Arsenal have been interested in for a long time.
“He is a perfect replacement for Bukayo Saka, who can also work up front. Great traveler with the ball at his feet. Can Arsenal test West Ham United's resolve with an offer this month?”
Mirror Football reported that Kudus was a £90m target for Arsenal in November, with the Gunners looking to replace Leandro Trossard amid fears he could join a club in the Saudi Pro League.
Arsenal are nine points behind leaders Liverpool at the halfway point of the season and the loss of Saka will make it even harder to catch them. Clarke believes recruiting more strikers will be crucial to their chances.
“It's a different kind of pressure to have to win, but also to know that Liverpool have the pressure to look over their shoulders,” he added. “It's exciting. Arsenal's defense is quite phenomenal at the moment. They're not really giving opponents a sniff.
“Things are improving. Does Arsenal have enough goals up their sleeve against teams that are really defensive? It's what Ipswich did last night that is proving to be a bit problematic, and Arsenal will have to get better at it.”
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