Emmanuel Petit has condemned Arsenal's decision to sign Riccardo Calafiori and suggested an alternative.
The Italian defender completed a £42million move to the Emirates Stadium this summer. He joined from Serie A side Bologna after impressing at Euro 2024.
Calafiori has played 16 games so far in his debut season after suffering from calf and knee injuries. His contributions have been crucial for Arsenal given the long-term injuries to Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Despite this, Petit remains unconvinced and believes the fee Arsenal paid for him could have been better spent on another role. Speaking to Casino Utan Spelpaus, the Frenchman said: “They should have addressed that [lack of strikers] in the last transfer window.
“They should have bought a striker. I know they increased the quality of the squad with a few players, but they added positions where they were well covered. They signed Riccardo Calafiori, but they already had two or three players who could play as a left back.
“I'm a big fan of Calafiori, but if you look at it, if you look at the young Lewis-Skelly, he's doing so well, and Zinchenko is on the bench most of the time, so they had that part of the match.” field covered.
“I can understand that when you play every three days and you have to compete in every competition you need squad depth, but the striker position was a priority. I don't know why Arsenal didn't sign a real striker last summer. Arsenal will not be able to sign the top-quality striker they want in January.
“They won't be able to do it. I know they have a number of wingers and strikers on their shopping list, I know the fans are desperate to see someone come in who can convert all the chances the team creates, but that won't happen in January. The January market is a very difficult market to shop in.”
Despite Petit's comments about Arsenal's recent affairs, they have already been busy in January. Mikel Arteta's side are closing in on a deal for Real Sociedad Martin Zubimendi, who has a £51million release clause in his contract with the Spanish side.
They could potentially turn their attention to a new striker, especially due to Gabriel Jesus' injury. The Brazilian is expected to miss the rest of the season due to a cruciate ligament injury.
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