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Former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre has advised his former club not to sign a replacement for Gabriel Jesus in the winter transfer window. He further urged the Gunners to keep their faith in Eddie Nketiah.
Jesus, 25, has been ruled out of action for three months after undergoing surgery on his right knee on Tuesday (6 December). The Brazilian forward sustained the injury during Brazil's 2022 FIFA World Cup group-stage 1-0 defeat against Cameroon earlier this month.
Nketiah, on the other hand, has been the Gunners' second-choice striker since last season. After impressing with 10 goals across all competitions last term, he has scored three goals and laid out one assist in 19 overall appearances in the ongoing 2022-23 campaign.
Speaking to Betting Expert, Silvestre stated that Nketiah is more than able to step into Jesus' boots during the latter's absence. He said:
"I don't think it makes any sense to go out and buy a new player. I think they should stick with their current squad and I think that Nketiah has the potential to reach a really high level. He is not completely there yet, but this is his chance to grab the opportunity. He needs to grab this chance and score goals."
Sharing his thoughts on Nketiah, Silvestre continued:
"Nketiah is a really good finisher and he is more like a fox in the box than Jesus. So, Arsenal also have to adapt their way of playing. He [Jesus] is a key player for them and has been contributing with both goals and assists this season."
Silvestre insisted that Jesus, who has registered five goals and seven assists in 20 games this season, will be a big miss. He concluded:
"It is a massive blow that he is injured now because he is so important to their style of playing. He creates space for the other players. But when a player is missing it opens up the opportunity for another player to step up. But of course, they will miss him a lot and it's really not good for Arsenal."
Arsenal agree £40 million deal to sign in-demand Ukrainian international: Reports
As per the Daily Mail, Arsenal have reached an agreement in the region of £40 million plus add-ons for Shakhtar Donetsk forward Mykhaylo Mudryk. Earlier, the north London outfit were dealt a blow, with Shakhtar demanding an exorbitant fee of around £90 million.
Mudryk, 21, has emerged as one of the most exciting offensive talents in Europe this campaign with his electric performances on the left flank. He has scored ten goals and laid out eight assists in 18 appearances across all competitions for his boyhood club so far this season.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are expected to delve deep into the winter transfer market for a versatile attacker. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is keen to rope in new players so his side can sustain their Premier League title push.
