Arsenal in ‘serious difficulty’ if Declan Rice injury confirmed – Ex-Chief Scout

Arsenal will advance to “the next level” if they can enhance their depth amid rising injury concerns.

This is according to former Manchester United senior scout and former Sir Alex Ferguson number two Mick Brown, who exclusively told Football Insider that if they want to win the league, they must improve their backup choices.

Brown previously told Football Insider that the Gunners plan to bring talent through the academy to supplement their team, as shown with Ethan Nwaneri.

However, he has emphasized that if they are to mount a real challenge to Manchester City, they must also enter the transfer market to address their squad depth difficulties.

Arsenal has come close to beating their opponents to the Premier League title in recent years, but they have fell short of matching Pep Guardiola’s team.

This, according to Brown, is largely attributable to their lack of quality depth in comparison to the defending champs, who can rotate without sacrificing performance.

Mikel Arteta’s team, meanwhile, has struggled without Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, despite their potential to produce results.

This was highlighted in their 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth, although with ten men following William Saliba’s red card, and their 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, in which they failed to create chances.

Arsenal to join the transfer market with new signings amid the ‘next level’ twist.

On October 24, Football Insider reported that six of Arsenal’s first-team players could be ruled out of the game against Liverpool, dealing a significant blow to their prospects.

Brown, who spent over a decade at Manchester United during their most successful period and is still well-connected in the league, believes that increasing their depth will be the key to transforming them from championship contenders to champions.

“You have to give them credit for how much they’ve managed to improve,” he told Football Insider.

“But these inquiries are always about levels and how to go to the next level.

“Arsenal have done well to position themselves as a competitor to Manchester City, but in order to succeed, they must enhance their depth.

“There have been questions regarding a striker, Saka, and Trossard. What will happen if Declan Rice is injured? They will be in serious danger.

“The scouting department will also ask questions like these.

“So they’ll undoubtedly be searching for methods to increase that depth.

“They’ll be obtaining as many scout reports as they feel they need to build up a dossier on players they believe can help their team.

“When you’re chasing Manchester City, you don’t have that much time. That’s what happens when you’re at the top of the league: expectations are high.

“So they should be, and I’ve been told they will be, looking at all their options in the transfer market just in case something happens to another key player.”

In other news, Arsenal are preparing to sign Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo.