Micah Richards has told Arsenal to go and sign Rodrygo as he “could solve a lot of problems for them” with left wing remaining a weak spot in the team.
Despite the £63.5m signing of Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal’s sole goal against Manchester United came from a defender with Riccardo Calafiori netting after Altay Bayindir spilled the ball.
Aside from that, Arsenal looked designingly toothless up top as they registered just three shots on target, less than half of what United managed.
The left wing was notable for its lack of contribution as Gabriel Martinelli created just one chance before being hooked on the hour mark. His replacement, Noni Madueke, contributed the same number of chances in his 30-minute cameo.
With Bukayo Saka on the other wing, Richards believes £80m-rated Rodrygo could be the answer to Mikel Arteta’s problems with Real Madrid reportedly willing to let the 24-year-old Brazilian go.
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“I still think they’re a left winger short or left forward short,” Richards said on The Rest is Football.
“Although I prefer Madueke on the right-hand side rather than the left, I just look at that position on the left-hand side (and) think if they could sort that. They were linked to Rodrygo, that could solve a lot of problems for them.”
Richards did though praise Arsenal’s strength in depth, pointing to the substitutions of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Mikel Merino as a sign of how much the Gunners have improved.
“It’s a massive win away from home, and it just gives you the momentum that you need for the start of the season.
“If you look at Arsenal’s bench today, you know Ben White started with Calafiori, and Lewis-Skelly last season was outstanding and (Jurrien) Timber.
“You can change the full-backs now and not affect the team. The quality doesn’t go down, so that would help them, as long as everyone stays fit throughout the season.”
Richards was joined on the podcast by Alan Shearer, who defended Gyokeres after the Swede had a debut to forget.
“It’s a tough afternoon for him, and we can’t judge him yet,” Shearer said. “He’s going to need time to adjust.
“He’s really, really quick. Looks really strong and powerful, but he hardly had any touches in the 18-yard box.
“So he’s going to have to get used to a different style of play with Arsenal.”
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