Arsenal
Why Arsenal Should Forget This £10m Signing And Bring In The Real Madrid Sensation As A Long Term Plan
Arsenal are in the market to complete their pursuit for a center forward, with manager Arsene Wenger reportedly keen on bringing either Real Madrid youngster Alvaro Morata or Newcastle loanee Loic Remy from Queens Park Rangers for a reported £10m deal. Arsenal are eyeing two of the continent’s most promising strikers after being heavily reliant on the Frenchman Olivier Giroud up front on his own without much in the name of competition for the lone striker spot at the Emirates.
27-year old Remy has proved his mettle with both QPR and Newcastle and has 18 months of Premier League experience under his belt. Remy scored 14 goals and provided 3 assists in his 26 appearances for the Magpies last season, proving that he has an eye for goal and wouldn’t look out of place in the lone striker role at Arsenal. However, Remy is still an unproven commodity at the highest level and whether a club of Arsenal’s stature may well be too big for him is a question that remains. Many players who have excelled in the Premier league for mid-table teams have often found it difficult to replicate their form for the top teams. While Remy may not be outstanding, he does have the pace to unsettle defences, but whether Remy would be a substantial step up from Giroud is another question that would be playing on Arsene Wenger’s mind.
Morata, on the other hand, is just breaking through the ranks at Real Madrid, and has struggled for game time under Carlo Ancelotti. Morata scored 8 goals in La Liga in just 3 starts and 20 substitute appearances for the Los Blancos, playing the role of a super-sub at the Spanish capital. Morata is tipped to be Emirates bound for a transfer fee in the region of £10m, after a long and arduous saga which has seen the player heavily linked to Arsenal since January. Crucially, Real are expected to include a buyback option, which will last for two years. Without this nifty clause, the Spanish forward would have cost the Gunners close to £25m, but ever the bargain hunter, Arsene Wenger may well have his man for half the price. Crucially, Morata has averaged a goal every 72 minutes in the Spanish League, while Remy has found the net every 150 minutes in the Premier League.
If Arsene Wenger is thinking long-term, then Morata is the man he should be eyeing. Morata is 6 years younger than Remy and has the experience of playing at a top European club, unlike Remy. Last season, Morata averaged 1.7 shots per game for the Los Blancos to Remy’s 3.5 shots per game for Newcastle. However, in terms of potency, the 21-year old youngster scores over Remy with a 69% shot accuracy compared to Remy’s 49. The question is, does Arsene Wenger want a temporary fix to the striker situation at Arsenal, or is he prepared for the long haul? Will Arsene Wenger go for a value for money option at a peak age for a striker or should he put his faith in Morata’s potential?
For Morata, this is the perfect time to move to a club of Arsenal’s pedigree, who can offer him Champions League football and a chance to compete at the very highest level in English football. In both spells of the Florentino Perez era at Real Madrid, there has been no fear of opening the chequebook. The club has shattered the world transfer record on four different occasions in what has been termed by Perez as the “Galactico” era – the superstar worship concept is embedded in the heart of the club, and Perez wouldn’t shy away from splashing the cash once again on a Luis Suarez or Diego Costa. Morata knows that opportunities will be limited at a club like Real Madrid, it is now the player’s ambition and what he wants from his career that matters.
Perez will continue to sell his idea of his “Galacticos” under the “Zidanes y Pavones” concept, revolving around Real Madrid youth player Ivan Pavon, who was in the squad at the time the likes of Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham were donning the white of Real. While the youngsters like Morata and Jese Rodriguez will help to keep the soul of the club intact, Perez’s idea of an all-conquering superstar-filled team still governs the way he club will continue to be run in the future, if of course, he can avoid being reprimanded by UEFA’s Financial Fair Play Rules. It is unlikely that the likes of Morata and Rodriguez will get their due at the Bernabeu, even though both players have shown enough to suggest they are good enough to pull on the Los Blancos shirt. Academy graduates like Juan Mata, Roberto Soldado and Alvaro Negredo have all left the club at an early age, and Morata is most likely the next to look for opportunities elsewhere. For Arsenal, this is the time to rope in the highly rated youngster. Arsenal’s need for a striker is well documented, and Morata, with his pace, technique and ability in front of goal, fits the bill perfectly.
While the wise head would probably go for the safe bet in Remy, Morata has time on his side and once he fine-tunes his overall game, he will be one of the top center forwards in the world in the near future. He is, already at present, more efficient than Remy, scores more often and his six years Remy’s junior. While that could be interpreted as lack of top level experience, fans familiar with La Liga know that Real Madrid’s hunt for “Galacticos” from other clubs instead of backing one of their own could cost them dearly. If only Arsenal go for the right man.
Stats via Whoscored
Arsenal Women host Manchester United on Saturday in a crucial six pointer for Champions League qualification. The Gunners sit just one point above United in the WSL table and victory at Emirates Stadium would give them a strong buffer, while defeat leaves them playing catch up in the race for Europe.
The match marks Arsenal’s return from the winter break following a busy week that saw Renee Slegers sign a new contract and Jodie Taylor promoted to Technical Director. However, the immediate focus is on securing three points against Marc Skinner’s side in what promises to be a tense encounter.
Kick-off: 12:30 GMT, Saturday, January 11, 2026
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
TV: Sky Sports (UK)
Cooney Cross Absent For Personal Reasons
Arsenal will be without Kyra Cooney Cross who has returned to Australia for personal reasons. Daphne van Domselaar is not quite ready to return from a quad injury while Chloe Kelly remains out with a knee problem. Jenna Nighswonger will not be in the matchday squad as she negotiates a loan move.
New signing Smilla Holmberg from Hammarby will be in the squad alongside recalled goalkeeper Naomi Williams. Manu Zinsberger and Katie Reid are out with ACL injuries. The absence of Cooney Cross means Mariona will likely drop into the deeper midfield role she has occupied for much of the last year.
United Strengthened in January
Manchester United have been busy in the transfer window, adding full back Hanna Lundkvist from San Diego Wave and centre forward Lea Schuller from Bayern Munich. Skinner was dealt a poor hand over the summer with a very small squad handling Champions League qualifiers and the group phase.
Predicted Lineup:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Borbe; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Mariona, Maanum; Mead, Russo, Smith
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Tullis Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Zigiotti; Park, Malard, Awujo; Schuller
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
Arsenal confirmed on January 9, 2026 that Jodie Taylor has been appointed as the club’s first ever Technical Director.
The 39-year-old former England striker moves up from her existing role as Technical Services Manager, a position she has held since September 2023 following her retirement from professional football.
Taylor’s promotion comes on the same day Arsenal announced Renee Slegers’ new contract extension through 2029, creating a strategic restructuring of the women’s football department.
A Decade Long Arsenal Connection
Taylor’s relationship with Arsenal spans ten years since first joining as a player in 2016. She scored 10 goals in 17 appearances during her initial spell before returning on a short-term deal in March 2023. Taylor earned 50 plus England caps during her international career and won the Golden Boot at Euro 2017.
She represented her country at the 2015 Women’s World Cup finishing third and played for multiple elite clubs including Lyon, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave throughout her career.
Strategic Structural Development
Taylor’s new role bridges critical areas of football operations including recruitment, analysis, coaching and performance support. She will work closely with Renee Slegers on a daily basis as the Technical Director, providing structural support for coaching decisions and squad development.
Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley praised Taylor’s appointment as integral to continued development of the program as Arsenal challenges for major trophies consistently. Wheatley will now focus on upward management across UEFA, FIFA and domestic boards while Taylor handles day to day operations.
Building a High Performance Environment
Taylor expressed immense pride stepping into her new position, emphasizing Arsenal’s remarkable growth over the past decade. She committed to nurturing a high-performance environment where players, coaching staff and support teams have the right tools to deliver at the highest level.
Her appointment represents investment in female leadership within Arsenal’s technical infrastructure, aligning with the club’s commitment to developing their women’s program systematically and strategically moving forward into their next phase.
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
Arsenal confirmed on January 9, 2026 that head coach Renee Slegers has signed a new long-term contract extending through the summer of 2029.
The 36-year-old Dutch coach was previously due to exit at the end of the 2025-26 season but now commits three and a half additional years to the club. Her extension rewards an extraordinary debut season where she guided Arsenal to historic UEFA Women’s Champions League victory after beating Barcelona 1-0 in the Lisbon final.
From Academy Player to Champions League Winner
Renee Slegers’ connection to Arsenal dates back decades. She played in the club’s academy as a teenager and watched Arsenal claim their previous Champions League trophy in 2007 from the stands. Her return to the club came in summer 2023 as assistant coach following two years leading Swedish club Rosengard where she won back-to-back Damallsvenskan titles.
She stepped into the interim role in October 2024 when Jonas Eidevall departed and impressed immediately with an 11-match unbeaten run. That performance earned her permanent appointment in January 2025, and by May 2025 she had delivered historic Champions League glory.
Arsenal’s Long-Term Vision
Slegers told club media that her journey from academy player to Champions League winning head coach represents immense pride. She stated the club has much to achieve together in the coming seasons. Arsenal Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley described Slegers as an elite coach with capabilities to lead continued title challenges.
Chief Executive Richard Garlick praised her impact driving standards and progress toward consistent top-level competition.
Jodie Taylor Joins as Technical Director
The announcement accompanied confirmation that former England international Jodie Taylor has been appointed Arsenal’s first ever women’s technical director. Taylor, who retired in 2023 after two Arsenal playing spells, will work closely with Slegers on recruitment, analysis and specialisation. Her role bridges previously disconnected recruitment and technical departments creating stronger operational cohesion.
Arsenal continues their title defence facing Manchester United on January 11 with five trophies remaining in play this season.
Also read: Arsenal star Kyra Cooney-Cross returns to Australia after mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis
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