Keown hopes for top-class striker signing
Arsenal have so far signed only goalkeeper Petr Cech from Chelsea but paid big money for Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in the last two summers and have been linked with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema this time around.
Keown hopes Wenger is indeed looking for a player of that quality to complete his squad for the new season.
“I think Arsenal’s priority will be to sign a top striker, as a marquee signing can feel like you’ve landed a psychological blow against your opposition,” Keown said in a Daily Mail Q&A. “It makes teams sit up and take notice.
“He wasn’t a striker, but think back to when Arsenal signed Sol Campbell. We already had an array of centre backs at the time, but his arrival really raised the bar.
“Mourinho may be sitting uneasy at the moment as Chelsea’s title rivals do a lot of business. His side may still be favourites, but they will have to play better and work harder than they did last year.
“Only Wenger knows whether Arsenal will sign a new striker or not, and he may well be working towards something at this moment. But think about two seasons ago when Arsenal lost the first game of the season against Aston Villa at home. Wenger went out and bought Mesut Ozil afterwards, and making that marquee signing saw Arsenal take off.
“I still feel Olivier Giroud will play a major part this season. He scored plenty of goals last season, but they will probably be looking for someone with different qualities at the moment. Someone with more pace and power.”
As well as a striker, it has long been suggested that Arsenal also need a quality holding midfielder, but Keown believes the emergence of Francis Coquelin last season will convince Wenger to stick with the players he already has in that area.
He said: “Arsenal have so many gifted midfielders, and if Coquelin isn’t available Arsene Wenger will want to plug the gap with a player who will control the game, rather than a physical presence.
“At the moment he feels that Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini can fill in for Coquelin when he’s unavailable, and I could also see him going with the likes of Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere or Aaron Ramsey in deeper central role in that situation. That would suit Wenger’s philosophy.
“Coquelin was a huge bonus last season – one of the first names on the team sheet – and there will be lots riding on Arteta when he is asked to fill in. He’s a good player to have around, as he has a good attitude and is well respected. But he may find it difficult to stay fit if he’s not playing regularly.”