Arsenal slammed for signing player with 'bad qualities' this summer

Arsenal have been told their last-minute deal to sign Raheem Sterling on loan from Chelsea was a ‘panic buy’. The Gunners landed Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino as their main buys in the summer window, with David Raya also snapped up on a permanent deal.

Sterling was then added on a late loan deal on deadline day after the winger was told to find another club by Enzo Maresca at Chelsea. After coming up short last season, Mikel Arteta prioritised a defender and a ball-playing midfielder this summer, and if the right opportunity popped up, he was also keen to sign either a striker or a winger.

There were regular claims last season that the Gunners lacked an out-and-out goalscorer, though they did not struggle for goals on the whole. Meanwhile, there has been an over-reliance on Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, and while both players have regularly delivered, competition is vital for the development of players.

It’s for that reason Sterling was snapped up, with the deal landing on Arsenal’s lap due to Maresca’s decision over in West London. But the deal is not a good one, according to former Gunners man Petit.

“I think Raheem Sterling was a panic buy from Arsenal,” he told BetVictor. “They just wanted to get someone in before the transfer window closed. They were looking at so many different players for months and didn’t get any of them, including a number nine. Everyone knows the quality that Sterling can produce and everyone knows what to expect from him, in both a good and bad way on the pitch. He doesn’t behave badly off the pitch and he always tries to give 100%, but sometimes he has so many bad qualities including his consistency.

“Arsenal needed to sign a winger to bring competition for Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, but I honestly think this was just a panic buy. He could be a good addition to the team because he has played under and learned from Pep Guardiola. Mikel Arteta plays exactly the same style, so Sterling knows exactly what Arteta will be expecting from him on the pitch.

“Arteta also knows that Sterling will be wanting revenge after what happened at Chelsea. If I were him, I’d be very upset and I’d be trying my hardest on the pitch to prove them wrong, exactly like Kai Havertz did. It was a pity to see what Chelsea did to both of those players.”

Speaking about Arsenal’s need for another striker, Petit added: “I have been very happy with Kai Havertz’s performances, but he’s not a natural striker,” said Petit. “When Arsenal aren’t playing well they become predictable and we saw that against Brighton. They need a plan B, a typical striker up front who can create more options for the midfielders and attackers around him. They needed something different and they didn’t get it.

“At the moment, Arteta and his staff are at a crossroads. There are many directions in which they could go, but they have to make sure they take the right one. I have full confidence in Arteta and Edu because they work so well together. They will know that not signing a striker in this window was a failure.”