Leeds United absentee bizarrely named in Arsenal striker search amid Kai Havertz injury nightmare

Teddy Sheringham has thrown a surprise name into the ring of strikers Arsenal should have signed last month - Leeds United’s Patrick Bamford.

Arsenal’s lack of transfer activity has come under scrutiny following reports Kai Havertz suffered a hamstring injury during his side’s warm weather training camp in Dubai. The Athletic’s David Ornstein has since reported he will be out for the entire season after tearing the muscle, with the possibility of surgery.

Goals have already proven to be a big issue at the Emirates and their failure to recruit a new striker in January could affect their Premier League title chances. The Gunners decided to sell long-term back-up and one-time Leeds loanee Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace over the summer and quite surprisingly, Sheringham picked out a current Elland Road struggler as someone Arteta should have looked to.

“I’m astounded they let Nketiah join Palace, because he is the type of player that scores goals, I think he is a young Ian Wright,” Sheringham told Italian outlet Finaria. “Obviously not ready to lead the line full-time for Arsenal, but to throw him in every now and again.

“When you’re beating an Everton 2-0, throw Eddie in and let him score a couple, have a couple of chances, get his confidence up. When you play against Crystal Palace at home, you win 3-0, throw Eddie in, get him a goal, get him a bit of confidence.

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“He’s a goal scorer. He comes alive in the box. That’s what Arsenal need, from my perspective. They need a goal scorer in those vital moments to convert all the chances that they make. So, to not have anyone in their ranks that they could do that with, is astounding.

“You can’t have the whole country saying they need a striker, it doesn’t have to be a top player. Just someone who offers around the six-yard box to convert chances. It could even be a Championship player that is a decent goalscorer. Could even be Patrick Bamford, someone like that.

“‘We need a goal in the last 20 minutes, you go after the ball around this penalty spot, six yard box, go and score a goal like you do. You can score a goal, go and score a goal’. They haven’t got anyone that’s a natural goal scorer. You know, it doesn’t have to be the best. Just the type of player that they can throw in there.”

Bamford played just 22 minutes of football during January after suffering a serious hamstring injury during Leeds’ 1-1 New Year’s Day draw at home to Blackburn Rovers. The 31-year-old has just 10 Championship appearances to his name this season, all of which have come from the bench. He is yet to score a single goal.

Injury issues have continued to plague Bamford’s time at Elland Road, with the striker unable to string together a number of appearances without picking something up. The one-cap England international has fallen behind Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph in the pecking order as a result, with minutes limited even when fit.