Why Arsenal signing Haaland is a clear waste of resources
According to Sport Bild (h/t Daily Mirror), Arsenal have stepped up their interest in Red Bull Salzburg striker Erling Haaland.
The in-demand forward had visited the Gunners training ground along with his father amidst interest from a variety of top clubs in Europe.
The Norwegian hot shot became an instant hit this year with his eye-catching performances at the Champions League. The 19-year old leads the top scorers’ chart in the European competition with 7 goals from 4 games.
He was impressive in his side’s first game, even scoring a hat-trick in their first Group E encounter against Belgian side Genk.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are in a spot of bother after failing to win any of their last five games across all competitions. Gunners boss Unai Emery has come under the scanner after a string of poor results.
If the current trend continues Arsenal may have to say goodbye to their hopes of qualifying for a Champions League spot next year.
Meanwhile, Emery, who led the Gunners to a fifth-place finish last year, had made the club-record signing of Pepe from Lille for a fee of £72million to boost the Gunners’ attacking firepower.
However, the Frenchman has failed to live up to the hype and is yet to deliver. This has caused more concerns for Emery, who has more trivial issues to deal with at the Emirates.
Arsenal’s defence has looked shaky throughout the season. The North London club has conceded more goals – 19, than what they have scored (18).
Summer signing David Luiz, who was brought in from Chelsea to add more stability to the backline, has also failed to live up to the expectations.
Of the 18 goals they have scored, almost half of them have been by star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Meanwhile, injuries have left French striker Alexandre Lacazette struggling for form, with just 4 goals to his name this season, two of those coming against Southampton at the weekend.
However, Arsenal have something to hope for in another summer signing – Gabrielle Martinelli from Brazil. The teenager has already proved his potential after some excellent displays in cup competitions for Emery’s side.
Martinelli has found the back of the net 3 times (3 games) in the Europa League, and 4 times (2 games) in the Carabao Cup.
It has been more than two years since Lacazette (2017) and Aubameyang (2018) made a move to the North London side. However, both strikers have failed to win any major trophies at the Emirates, let alone secure a Champions League qualification.
Given such a situation, it’s no wonder that the Gunners are interested in the 19-year old Haaland.
Nevertheless, for Arsenal, the problems are not in the attack but in defence, as it has been clearly evident through their performances this season. Hence, a move for £85m-rated Norwegian teenager looks like a clear waste of money.
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Verdict
Hence, it would be really unwise of Arsenal to move on with a deal that would cost them so much in the market. Moreover, with Martinelli still young and flourishing, targeting Haaland seems to be a clear waste of resources.