Striker who has scored 11 goals against Arsenal could become an option for Mikel Arteta as a free agent

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At a recent press conference before Arsenal’s victory over Leicester City, Mikel Arteta refused to rule out the arrival of a free agent to solve the club’s striker crisis.

To begin with against Leicester, Arsenal opted for Leandro Trossard a false nine, a performance that put a lot of stress on the world ‘false’.

Trossard has been excellent on the left recently but often goes missing when asked to play in the middle, a role that sometimes appears too physical for his skill set.

Of course, Mikel Merino changed the game for Arsenal when he came on in place of Raheem Sterling, a midfielder who already boasted a very strong non-penalty xG record this season.

As a number eight, Merino has often arrived in the box at the right time, and he seemed to have a strong goalscoring instinct as a striker too.

Former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino might become a free agent

That being said, if Arsenal don’t want to rely on Merino for the rest of the season, there could be an interesting option on the horizon.

According to Give Me Sport, former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino could potentially become a free agent after a recent decision at Al-Ahli.

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Now 33-years-old, Firmino has been left out of Al-Ahli’s squad for the second half of the Saudi Pro League season.

The report mentions the possibility of Firmino’s contract being terminated at the club as a result, even if Al-Ahli would be keen to keep his services.

The Brazilian will still be eligible for the Asian Champions League, despite being snubbed for their league squad following the arrival of fellow Brazilian Galeno from FC Porto in January.

The situation is labelled as one to ‘keep an eye on’ over the weeks to come, a striker who could surely still make a difference at the Emirates Stadium.

Roberto Firmino’s record against Arsenal

Interestingly, Gary Neville compared Kai Havertz to Firmino last year, perhaps explaining what the Brazilian could offer to Arsenal on a short-term basis.

And fans in N5 probably won’t need too much of a reminder of just how effective Firmino can be in England.

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In the Premier League, Firmino scored 82 goals and provided 51 assists in 256 games, a striker who thrived alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane for Liverpool.

And it’s worth noting that in 18 games against Arsenal, Firmino actually scored 11 goals and provided three assists.

Firmino was a constant thorn in Arsenal’s side, and perhaps it’s not entirely impossible that he could yet wear the club’s colours.