Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s demotion as Arsenal captain has presented transfer chief Edu with even greater urgency to complete the signing of Dusan Vlahovic. With other members of the Gunners’ attacking contingent also creating issues, boss Mikel Arteta could soon be landed with a crisis which must be rectified by Edu as quickly as possible.
Aubameyang was brutally stripped of his captaincy on Tuesday after being left out of the squad to face Southampton due to a disciplinary breach.
Arsenal’s club statement was particularly open and honest in that their expectations are much higher of a club captain, rumoured to have missed his deadline when returning from a trip abroad.
The Gunners still found a way to run out handsome 3-0 victors on Saturday, but the 32-year-old remains their top scorer this season with seven in all competitions.
And ongoing problems with other strikers make Edu’s transfer priority abundantly clear over the next few months.
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With a strike-force which is ageing, even when they are not breaching disciplinary rules or rejecting contracts, an injection of youth and hunger was always bound to be in order at some point.
Vlahovic could provide exactly that – a 21-year-old marksman who is yet to try his hand at the very top level.
The Serbian truly turned a corner at the beginning of last season, notching 36 goals in 54 league games since which has alerted a host of European heavyweights.
According to Eurosport, Arsenal are considered ‘the most serious’ club when it comes to chasing Vlahovic’s signature, and it is hardly a surprise considering the complexities of their situation.
A key dilemma remains for Edu, however, in terms of whether he attempts to make the move in January or the summer.
With Vlahovic believed to be running down his contract over in Italy, Fiorentina’s leverage will diminish as time passes by, and his price-tag is likely to plummet as a result.
In January, his price is believed to be set at £68million, a fee which would leave him just short of the Gunners’ club-record signing.
If they were able to hold out until the summer, when it looks as though Lacazette and Nketiah will make way, the price is reported at closer to £51m.
Edu therefore has a decision to make in that regard, although the need for another striker appears more like a foregone conclusion – particularly in light of the way the club’s most reliable goal-scorer was disciplined this week.